Phoenix Tears
by NuttersAscend
Summary: Tsunayoshi Sawada was a kid who coped by suicide methods, which for whatever reason failed him every time. A Sawada Tsunayoshi from another world established contact with him after many tries and tries to pass on his knowledge after an attack from Byakuran killed his famiglia and keeps him as war spoils to extract information by any means possible. Read to find out what happens.
1. Murphy's law

khr ain't mine

This is the revamped version of phoenix tears. Plus the rating's gonna change cos some of the stuff I've written for the work is pretty explicit (gore) and it's not gonna stop even after the latest chapter 15

Hope you like the story, and feel free to let me know what you think of the work.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Murphy's Law**

When the going gets tough, you persevere! You aim for something beyond yourself, for a greater cause-

To make your parents proud

To make your friends happy

To make your team win

To learn something new

To ...

You aim for a goal- for acceptance. You need a reason to survive and something to hold on to, especially if you're not stuck in a web of relations.

Maybe it's to eat all the delicious goodies the world can cook up or maybe it's to see the wonders it has to offer- the ingenuity of mankind or the beautiful accidents of nature.

Or perhaps it's the sense of fulfillment which comes with helping someone out in need and make a difference. It's a need to connect with others, to belong somewhere.

You are living to fulfill some purpose. There's a reason why you exist. There is someone who needs you and only you- yes you, from the 2 billion (and counting) people in the world.

And the universe exists to be explored and was made in the way it is currently for a reason.

'Bah. I'm not living for any of those. I just don't have the courage to die'

Eyes looked at a shiny blade at a table across the room wistfully. They darted to the slumped posture of the male sitting on a small bed in a comparatively small cozy room.

The room although tiny had pictures with a family around a boy with spiky auburn hair and huge hazel eyes. It had toys like cards, video games, and books of the middle school level, others being of comics.

It looked that of a room of a totally average middle school boy.

The boy absentmindedly swept his eyes through the room taking in its contents but did not move an inch. He remembered searching 'painless, fast ways to die.'

Ignoring the search results which came up with therapy sites or phone numbers -because he was fine thank you very much- and checking things out for reference sakes (yes purely)

He saw statistics of how painful and how successful some methods were, the topmost being a gunshot with a 99% success rate and the lowest being 6% at cutting wrists... made him glare at how complicated dying would be.

Picking up the knife which wasn't made for slicing at human skin, but rather fruits (and yes their skin, note fruit -not human) he sat back on top of the bed with a flop, releasing all his energy from yet another unfulfilling day, making the bed creak loudly in protest... just like his palpitating heart.

It screeched out an SOS, clearly not willing to die.

It was backed up by his body- his hair stood straight, opposing the foreign danger. His muscles were tense, his breathing shallow. He took stiff gulps as his mind fought a one army battle against the rest of his body which were begging him to see reason.

His fingers trembled against the knife handle, the blade close to his wrist.

'And here I am struggling against the 6% success rate, but most-easy-way-I-can-die method... It's a mouthful. I'll shorten it into MEWID...

...Where was I?

Ah right'

He opened a notebook beneath his bed.

'Experiment 40: date xx/xx/xxxx

From previous experiments...' he peeled his long sleeves back to see cuts at his upper arm.

'cut wounds burn and don't disappear. Blood clotting on failed attempts give feelings of dizziness and reduce capacity to think or analyze making school a lot harder. Which in this case, makes the group x have more followers or more passive followers. So, more people don't want to get involved, and more people engage in giving more bruises -which increases the medical budget for months coming.'

He felt too tired to clean up the 'bruises of the day' and opted to jot down the observation.

He then flipped to the next partition of the book and crossed out cutting.

'It's too obvious and will make a pity story. Mom would be upset and dad... maybe would come back for the funeral... which is the only good thing here.

And they'll be the spotlight of Namimori. Plus...'

He thought back on the day's event. He was at the school gate, preparing himself to limp back to school when he saw the chairman of Namimori middle school. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the prefect focussing on his biceps.

'That guy might know...

Who am I kidding! That demon's got better people to bite. I'm not damaging Namimori in anyway, I'm helping it- in fact. Reducing the population and removing one nuisance from the town...' His lips quivered by the end of it.

* * *

He cleared his thoughts. And moved to the next thing in his checklist; Drowning.

He had a tub in his bathroom, and it seemed painless. And his mother thought that he was careless enough to drown himself ...Plus she thought he absent-mindedly swallowed the bleach at the bathroom. He even remembered her specific words.

"Oh! Tsu-kun! What can I do with you? You've got my genes when it comes to being careless" she said, eyebrows furrowing and her lips forming a stiff smile.

'It must have been her tension fading.'

He reminisced the day.

That day, he had read online that bleach ingested could kill a person very fast, seeing that a lot of articles he found, told of people dying from swallowing the powder or the liquid form.

It tasted salty with a sour taste, but he could forgoe its flavor- the end justifies the means after all. His stomach was doing flips that day. He made his mother accustomed to a new habit he developed for the scenario to happen- he conditioned her to allow him to store his snacks at the bathroom

He first started taking them there for twice a week, claiming that he'd need all the time he could to study so that he could pass for once.

Then it became thrice, then 4 times... and finally everyday in the week.

The plan was perfect. He was a clumsy blubbering fool who tripped over nothing... so if bleach fell on his snacks, it wasn't much of a deal right? He could say he never noticed he swallowed that much bleach- because as it turned out, his mother also called him absent-minded, careless.

He just didn't expect his body to be so uncooperative. His mind was gung-ho with the operation, since it was one of his biggest experiments- but his body... no, his body just had to protest! His eyes were swimming, his vision blurring and his mouth was choking on his breath. His fingers shivered and didn't allow him to hold the bleach and snack piece near his partially open mouth- which did not open wider regardless of what threat his sobbing voice told it, his stomach felt like lurching whatever he wanted to ingest- just like the day he heard his mother was throwing expired pills and he decided to swallow them after he scavenged them from his garbage disposal can ; needless to say, he puked it all out, bile and everything tears burning in his eyes, vowing to get more poisonous pills next time if this was the result.

The most horrible part of the plan was that in the end, his mind wanted out- voices filled his head.

'Let me write something behind! I need to leave something behind- I don't want to die without letting them know -I don't want to be forgotten!'

But then, he shut it off with a glare- he was doing this because he didn't want to be the tragic hero. If he survived he'd be put on the suicide watch- a bad thing because there WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG with him.

So he took a big breadth and munched on the snacks- food he considered a comfort, appetizing to his past self, covered with the taste of harsh sour and salt which turned bittersweet like some medicine.

'Bases taste bitter and soapy, like detergent' his chemistry teacher's voice rung inside him, making him quirk a smile at things he'd never thought he could remember popped up.

But the smile was quickly gone as his body immediately rejected it. His eyes widened, and his throat burned, and he realized if he doesn't do something fast, he will fail. So he hurriedly swallowed the remaining of the food. His throat hurt and his vision was blackening, and he felt the intense desire to puke everything out, but he drank water not letting anything out until finally, a ringing in his head became the loudest part of the experience, and he couldn't see anything else.

When he woke up, it was a shitty feeling.

His mother was right outside the door and his ears, probably heightened by his life-threatening ordeal heard the conversation outside. It was with his mother and a ...cop.

He couldn't hear everything since he was in close quarters.

Apparently, his mother was being questioned for child abuse! That sweet lady who he was lucky enough to have as his mother was being accused of attempted murder!

He tried getting up, but he couldn't sit up, because his mouth had a TUBE lodged into him! He felt choked and immediately started coughing, alerting his mom and a dazed cop.

Wait that wasn't the worst part- it was the first meeting with the accursed prefect- Hibari Kyoya, who made it his lifelong duty to make people uncomfortable- in Tsuna's case, it was giving an unnerving feeling that he KNEW!

They came in, and he immediately schooled his face into that of surprise, noting that the prefect widened his eye a fraction the moment he did that and started panicking about his current situation in as shrill of a voice he could- knowing that it would fluster them enough to not think too straight.

His mother scolded him, and he looked sheepish, still keeping the corner of his eye at the cop and the prefect. The incident ran smoothly from then on, with the cop having an impression of him that he was a bumbling idiot (something which he actively advocated to the police force and the Namimori inhabitants to prevent any further accusations. It was a win-win- more experiments for him and his parents' reputation was kept intact... leaving Hibari aside)

There was one thing he learned from the issue: that he loved the thrill from surviving an experiment of his, especially because it did him or anyone else, no harm.

* * *

Just then, an intense stare came up to him from the mirror. It was a delusion that indulged him lately..

A person who looked just like him would look at him with an unreadable expression. They had his same orange spiky hair and hazel eyes. They had the same complexion, but lately, they had the literal expression of a drowned rat. He meant their hair was so wet it stood down ...just like how defeated the actual person was.

"What now? Another mafia incident?" he asked, tired but slightly interested. His delusion told him that he was a mafia boss (of all things) and whined to him about the details of his family's status, enemies and their general psychology... Like how he analyzed what they were thinking about, what their posture spelled, what kind of actions would they take.

Since he was an abysmal student with bullying problems, he had no choice but to listen to his delusion talk and talk when he wasn't doing any experiments -simply because he had nothing else to do.

His mirror image looked at him and told him sardonically.

"Funny that the only person I can talk to always tries to kill himself. Don't you care that you're leaving me all alone in here? What's wrong?"

"Says a person who's the boss of a famiglia. Whether I live or not has no impact on your life. And for the last time, drop it! I'm completely fine!" the brunette bristled defensively at his mirror.

"You're awfully defensive at a 'delusion' as you call it. I could put the same thing at you."

He didn't know why he bothered replying to his delusion. His experiments did do a toll on his mentality- like the bleach incident left him unable to eat any of his snacks, not that his mom knew- she simply thought he was going healthy.

"Okay, no need to glare."

"And you don't need to play tough with me. Your pupils are completely dilated, and you're a soaking rat. Plus you're shivering, and your body is closing on itself with how your hands are clutching your arms."

"Glad to see, my lectures on behavior are getting to you."

"Why are you at a place which is triggering fear in you anyway? Your famiglia's not there to bust you out yet?"

"...

...

What famiglia?

...

They're dead. Byakuran Gesso killed them.

"

Tsuna felt a pang of disappointment since the brunette always spoke so enthusiastically about them. It was like an untouchable dream- a daydream. It seemed like his delusion was finally catching up to reality.

"You said the guy was small fry. How badly did you screw up to get -"

"I was playing tough! Byakuran Gesso ruled all the other dimensions! Yours and mine were the only ones left! I thought ours would be the exception! You're there killing yourself, and I'm here drowning!"

"Right, the 'parallel universes' 'Irie Shoichi, Talbot and Spanner' duplicated "

"You're so damn skeptic! So I'm the delusion where my family and I don't and never existed huh?! What about the stuff you're hearing from me!? I'm passing information to you which is too densely packed to be considered imaginary!"

"Uh huh, so you were talking about drowning. I kept that as the next experiment. How's it like?" His twinkling eyes made the brunette on the mirror give him a dark, desperate expression.

"...

...

..."

"Don't be so stingy. You have to share. Besides your confessions aren't gonna affect my decisions. I am going to try it out. I could just play the I slept in the bath excuse."

"...Do you honestly think... people don't suspect...

...

..." the delusion choked and started to answer when he saw that Tsuna was planning on changing his focus when he realized the mirror version of him wasn't going to tell him.

"I'm a kind of war spoil... They want information from him.

When I'm submerged in water... along with the starting splash, my ears get an echoing ringing and I hear bubbles from my mouth and the hand which grips my neck burns and won't let me emerge to the surface. After some time, my lungs and eyes burn and my brain feels heavy- I can't think of anything.

Then my arms, hands, and toes curl up - my entire body convulses then it fills my lungs with something and makes me feel like my lungs are going to pop out and my heart's going on overdrive and it hurts so much... I don't want to do this anymore."

"...And why don't you?"

His delusion looked patronizingly at him.

"Reborn, my tutor, has trained me for worse. This is about prying from my dead body what my family and I are protecting."

"They're dead!"

"My famiglia might be...! But the Vongola still exists! And we're the Vigilante keeping the mafia in check. Byakuran's ideals... are too radical. They've cost my family their lives. I'd be damned if I can't even protect it!"

"Then die!"

The other Tsuna had a look full of despair as he looked over at him.

"Byakuran, if nothing else... is persistent. I'll not be dying so soon. But I've called you for just one thing. It's my very last favor. I'll keep a recording of whatever transpires here, so you can see it whenever... Consider it my dying will."

"...Why?"

"Because you're going to be the next mafia boss of the story."

"In my universe, I'm not that important. And besides, I'd rather die than have your kind of treatment."

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, there is no universe where you are alive since you're being targetted by Byakuran for his hunting sport, apparently. And don't interrupt me, I don't have the time to debate on this.

Since you love those life-threatening experiences of yours, watch these recordings... because it's a premonition of how your life is generally going to be. And my intuition says your life is going to be more painful than I could ever imagine."

* * *

"Pure conjectures!"

"Panicking already, Tsuna? Here's a thought. Know Hibari Kyoya?"

looking at the startled ,yet disdainful expression at his name, he continued.

"There are people bound to you in every universe. Heed my words: these are people who're by your side, as in they play and share a major role of your or their life together- by whatever coincidence or luck you think you have; Hibari Kyoya, Rokudo Mukuro, Yamamoto Takeshi, Chrome Dokuro, Gokudera Hayato, Bovino Lambo and finally Reborn. There are other people who come in and out of your life sometimes in some parallel universes, but you've heard me speak of them-"

Tsuna threw the mirror on the ground, not willing to entertain the mirror any longer. He sat on the edge of his bed and tried his bed to ignore the sound of water splashing as well as desperate gasping along with harsh questioning coming from the mirror.

His hand trembled towards his notebook and scratched the drowning checkbox, tears burning as he heard the choking sounds from the mirror, his morbid curiosity not controling his actions as pure self preservation made him feel more scared than before.

"It was bad enough that people pick on me at school. How can that be the rest of my life?! I refuse to believe it!

Refuse to! You hear me! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse!

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse!

I refuse! I refuse! I refuse!

I refuse! I refuse!

I refuse!

Please! No! That can't be true!"

He sobbed into his blankets glancing at his clock.

It read 6 pm.

He had an hour before he was to reply cheerfully to his mother's.

"Tsu-kun! Time for dinner!"

And he had to get his wounds coated with concealer by that time.

But he was tired and his cuts were burning reminding him of how he messed up.

His bruises reminded him of how badly he failed at being human since he couldn't even get accepted by his own species.

And the food his mom carefully made were fed to the ground everyday by the people who in a way hung out with him.

He looked again at the mirror.

It's fine, one of the methods he noted should make his life as that of a firework... Without getting anyone a guilty conscious.

It wasn't their fault he wanted to die... so badly.

If just one Hibari Kyoya knows... it was fine, since no one would believe him... and he was fine with him thinking of the brunette as a weakling... since the demon prefect thought of everyone as weaker than him.

The feeling that he'd disappoint someone was just his self-preservation talking that's it.

* * *

**Preview:**

"Herbivore"

Tsuna looked at the demon prefect glaring at him. Well it was natural, seeing that he was holding a dead ,bruised up cat while he was muddied up like usual.

He sighed ,waiting for a beating- ready to be accused of animal abuse.

Because being muddied up- was expected of him, but the cat didn't deserve it.

And it was all his fault.


	2. Zinnia

**Chapter 2**

**Zinnia**

Namimmori was one of the safest places in the world. They had a disciplinary committee which made the town out of the mafia's reach (which tells a whole lot bout the committee in itself). The town was surrounded by trees everywhere, so much so that it was even mentioned in the middle school anthem. It made the town feel spiritual and peaceful.

The town was inhabited by people with wide smiles. Said people had a boundless amount of energy. The biggest example was a boxer-captain (Is that a word) ran round the town for rounds in all sorts of positions for 'EXTREME training'... granted he was kind of a nuisance, but the disciplinary committee gave up on him, seeing that the boxer was like that his whole life. It was a lost cause as well as one of Namimori's seven wonders.

Now there was only one grey area to this town. Somewhere down an alley, you could hear splutters from a person drowning.

"Ahahaha. He has water coming from his nose! Ew, there's snot too."

There were people forming a circle around a boy laughing at his pathetic attempts to take a good whiff, to increase his chances of survival when he was being repeatedly plunged into water .By the way, said water source was a huge barrel.

'I didn't want to drown! I crossed that option out so many times!' the brunette haired boy screamed to himself. His eyes warm and his nose dripping clogging his breathing system and forcing him to puff out through his mouth which was apparently funny for his tormentors.

"Hey guys! Listen to this dweeb! He's breathing like a pregnant woman. Who fucked you up so bad, Tsuna-chwan? Life? Ahahaha.

Breathe with me Tsuna-chwan. Don't want you to be a party pooper with you fainting on us. Come on! Take a deep breath, then exhale through your nose. I said through your nose, idiot.

Dame Tsuna can't follow simple instructions."

Then they proceeded to dump him back into the water.

"Look that idiot's shivering in joy. Can't wait to be back in water eh? You're not a fish, Tuna... So we'll have to bring you back to the world. We're saints, aren't we? lololol"

The water was cold and it was making him delirious and claustrophobic when he was submerged into the barrel. His mind wasn't telling him a single thing when normally it haunted him with all sorts of words and he felt utterly alone.

" his hand gripped my neck tightly and forced me underneath. I couldn't fight back and it made whatever efforts my body made pointless."

He remembered the one-sided conversations the delusion of him told him in those days following his apparent recording. 'He' never replied to any of his hysterical remarks, ignored all his sobs when he was forced to see the mirror, since the sounds from the mirror when he didn't force him to look back. It had been torture either way.

His house was a two-storied individual house- an American dream. There were a lot of guest rooms which were locked and the keys were with his mother. He couldn't ask for the keys, since it was suspicious.

He couldn't stay downstairs the whole time, because his mother thought of him as a lazy bum who wanted to forgo his duties. But everytime, he stepped into his room, the mirror started playing as if his mere presence served as a trigger to continue playing.

'His' choked words and voices along with the harsh questioning and laughter of 'his' torturers reminded him of his current predicament.

Why did he go outside? If he stayed inside, his sanity would slowly die (What was his delusion thinking?! It was too traumatic to be a form of therapy for his suicidal tendencies... which he would protest was just him being an adrenaline junkie!) So his only solution was to go outside and being the easy target for his favorite and most frequent company, his bullies.

Now he was doing a rather poor enactment of the torture his delusion experienced and he never meant for that to happen. It's just that he tripped with the shoes he'd acquired to make his clumsy act more solidified (No. Hibari Kyoya wasn't making him paranoid!) right into the frigid water barrel which was open for his entire life here. Matters were worse since it was sewage water (more like a collector for the sewage water which leaked there- leaky pipes and all) added to the fact that the town was chilly at mornings.

He would probably get sick from this, but he had to go to school, else his 'friends' would show him how much they 'missed' him.

Honestly, the only good thing he got from his 'friends' was that his mom didn't get worried because the teacher didn't put in his report card that he was practically a loner.

At long last, his bullies got bored and went away leaving him behind for a fast food joint.

'This is why I don't like friends. They're always such a pain! And I can't stop being ungrateful!' the brunette thought as his vision swam and his head ached while his nose ran a marathon. He got up drenched like a rat and chuckled at the irony of being the same thing he accused his delusion off.

'Looks like a mafia boss and a loser are on the same boat' then he thought back to how grimy the place was and how the tormenters felt and looked like.

'Scratch that. I'm at a better place.'

His feet wobbled as he felt light-headed as he squinted his eyes towards a source of rustling behind the bush and his body went immediately on the defense.

'Round two?'

Then out from the bush came the cutest thing which kept him company in his miserable life, a shorthair -an orange cat, which he had dubbed Natsu.

It was fierce just like everything in his life... but was surprisingly the only being that didn't hurt him. But it was annoying, that was it for sure.

He met Natsu when he around 1st grade. Natsu was a kitten with cherubic eyes and fluffy puffed up cheeks. It was fed well, judging by the glowing aura it had emitted. It was also loved because it mewled and circled him like it was nobody's business.

That and he regularly saw the kitten being given toys and shelter accessories.

He, on the other hand, was regularly kicked by his classmates and playmates because he was abysmal in anything he did. It was like an arrow shot his small heart with how accepting the kitten was.

He remembered ducking to touch its ears, but it didn't scratch him or yawn. It just looked attentively at him and purred.

He also remembered being a complete loser and running straight home after that with a huge blush on his cheeks... and weeping pathetically after that.

His mother had been worried and speaking in higher octaves, but being the incompetent he was, he couldn't make coherent words or understand what on earth she was saying.

She was probably worried that her son became a nutcase, crying for no reason after coming back from school.

But the following weeks from then, he knew... that he wasn't the nutcase, the kitten was.

Those weeks had been horrible (what's new?). He had been caught crushing on his classmate, Sasagawa Kyoko. His classmates didn't take it lightly... in fact, it's how he got some of his current 'friends'. He was alienated during playtime, recess and physical education but was surrounded by people after classes ended, playing 'kagome' with the girls and 'dodgeball' or 'tag' with the boys.

(Kagome's a game where people make a closed circle around a person sitting at the center and singing songs. )

Granted the songs felt a bit malicious, but he could blame it on the first time he received so much attention from the girls.

He also played hide and seek, with people forcing him to hide in the closet... but they just didn't find him later.

But on the positive side, he learned how to pick locks blindfolded from that incident. It also made him very grateful for the food his mom packed him everyday... too bad, his 'friends' thought that he needed to be reminded this everyday since, with his lunch box on the ground.

But that kitten followed him home everyday through the weeks. It licked him and it played around him and mewled and tried directing him to all the weird stuff it caught- like dead rats *shudder*

Its fur was so soft, he wanted his pillow to be that soft and warm. When he cuddled at a grass slope, he had the best sleep he had in ages.

It was so strange... he didn't or couldn't being it food- remember lunch box meets ground?- nor could he bring anything cute for the kitten's house- apparently his female classmates considered it too girly to keep around and led him to another vicious beatdown.

He was pretty sure he needed the kitten's company than it needed his... cos his classmates told it more positive and cheery stories and petted it to comfort it- but he needed to pet it to comfort himself and he was an absolute downer.

He couldn't help it, the most positive of his stories made the very few people who talked to him CRINGE.

But the kitten stayed... how irrational it was. There was nothing good in staying with dame-Tsuna.

Natsu looked at his drowned rat look that he now sported, making him wonder if this was going to be his new fashion for the month and sneezed loudly. He looked around frantically if someone heard that, but minutely relaxed when he saw that no one was around.

The cat came up to him and rubbed itself on his knees, absorbing the water. Used to its antics, Tsuna spoke;

"Natsu... you're better off not acting as a towel. It's sewage water... it's filthy" his eyes downcast and his lips turning to an irritated frown when he realized the cat wasn't listening and was on its way to his other leg.

So he clicked his tongue and jerkily moved to ignore the surprised mewl from the cat.

He moved a few steps ahead until the insistent cries from the cat stopped him. He released a sigh;

"Ok fine, Natsu. I'll dry up and take a warm bath at my house. Now, will you stop worrying?" He was reminded of how ridiculous he was talking to a cat and how stupid it was that it was a cat which was one of the sole reasons he was living (The other being his mom)

The cat stopped crying and instead opted to follow him.

He sighed again and stopped his lips from quirking upwards.

His walk back home was upbeat, considering he was almost drowned by his 'friends'.

When he reached home, he looked at the backyard tree and started climbing it- a habit he got when he came back bruised and beaten (which was painful at first). He was lucky his mom didn't sweat the details.

Why did he care about what his mother thought so much in this regard?

Well, the first time he came bruised and beat up, his mother made him sit next to her as she advised him to not get into fights as if he was a delinquent.

He also saw her posture- her knees crossed and her stomach pointing to the door exit, it was signs that he was told by his newly met delusion. She said that a third grade student shouldn't act so rebellious and her eyes darted around his body and the wall behind him as if she was afraid he'd have an outburst and that all she wanted was to leave the house and talk to her beloved husband judging by the phone she gripped tightly in her hands. Her fingers were playing with the mobile screen as she chastised him. She was clearly into stating her opinions and her hair was tucking her ears, and she reinforced the position throughout her conversation, not wanting to hear her son out.

It felt like he was living a lie and it made him disbelieve his delusion. But when he stuck through the conversation and eavesdropped on her phone call with her husband- he found out that the psychological tips his delusion gave him were the truth.

His world crashed on him that day.

He didn't want a repeat of the past. She was trying to protect the world she knew as he was. So he should act on the mutually understood belief.

When he got to the room, his mirror resumed from where it was and he could hear sounds of drowning which reminded him of his little incident. He gritted his teeth and ignored his beating heart and went on more important issues.

He took a warm bath and dried himself, intent on keeping his promise with Natsu.

He also took a towel from a cupboard, his eyebrows furrowed upwards in worry that Natsu might get sick. He took a backpack and muttered an excuse to his mom which she hummed happily back to him, and he left.

It was strange it was him this time to search for Natsu, instead of the other way around. But the cat did stupid things because of him, and it wasn't the first time he had to do these things.

After wandering around Namimori, he spotted Hibari sitting on a tree. At that instant, their eyes met, and he stared for a while before moving ahead, giving a small bow for a greeting (No one acts rude with Hibari Kyoya).

He moved around town searching for orange, any indication of the cat. He then finally reached the last place he'd rather be, the street where he was being drowned.

And found his dreaded suspicions right.

His 'friends' looked up at him and smiled a wide smile which sent shivers down his spine.

"Oh, Dame-Tsuna? We wanted to go find you just now. Nice timing" and moved slightly aside to show one of them holding down the very orange cat he'd been searching for the whole time. It was as drenched as he last saw it... but this time it was for another reason.

There were puddles pooled around its feet as it hissed.

Maybe it hissed at him for showing up in the first place- like it was scolding him for getting himself back into trouble.

Or maybe it was hissing at his friends for drown- hurting it or trying to hurt Tsuna... or maybe it was both. Because Natsu never liked his 'friends' for some reason.

But it didn't matter because he did something stupid the very next moment. Seeing how drenched the cat was and how water trailed from the barrel till the puddle near the cat... something in him snapped. He charged at them with a scream.

He tried punching, kicking at them and then was punched to the ground and all the air he inhaled out of rage escaped him making him wheeze. He was then punched and kicked from all directions. The brunette curled up into himself, hiding from the pain and finally his hair was pulled, making his split lip open to breathe in air that he desperately wanted, and was yanked to the side of his cat.

Someone might have held him down to his knees and grabbed is arms behind his back arresting his movement, but he wasn't aware- he didn't care. All he knew was he was helpless and powerless... and that Natsu was going to ...

"Ooh Dame-Tsuna has a backbone~"

"Ahahaha, the only thing you wanted to protect was a mangy street cat and you couldn't even do that lololol. What a loser."

"Wait he snarled at me before when we called his mother a slut. Remember that? I mean what father never visits his kid. This loser's definitely an illegitimate."

"Oh yeah! And he didn't do anything else. The cat's got more backbone than he'd ever have. Calling him a scaredy-cat is an insult to Sir mangy cat here. Ahahahahaha."

They kept speaking insults to him as one of them got a huge stone and moved towards the cat and tears flew down Tsuna's eyes as he whispered and begged continuously to spare its life.

They, however, found the whole situation very amusing and told him.

"I wonder how many hits can we give it before it becomes worthy to be Dame-Tsuna's friend? It must at least have the same level of cowardness."

His sobs and tear ducts refused to listen to him as he scolded himself to stop adding fuel to the fire... especially when what he was doing was a positive feedback to the cycle of bullying.

He heard a thud and a loud cry from the cat and he jerked forward, this time making him fall forward and the boy who held him down previously, sat on top of him.

He then heard the stone ram down again and again, hearing whimpers from the cat.

"Ooh, it's finally whimpering, just like you Dame-Tsuna. You finally match each other. Good for you" and they continued laughing as they brought the stone downwards. And heart couldn't have beat faster nor could his eyes stop looking at the cat crying out.

He couldn't stop himself from apologizing over and over again.

But he went deathly silent when the cat stopped too... lying completely unrecognizable across him.

And he was left alone, sounds of laughter decreasing in volume with Natsu.

"...You stupid cat

...

I told you nothing good happens from hanging out with me.

...

...

...

I can't call out to anyone again.

...

...

Who am I gonna call Natsu again?

...Why would you even want to hang out with Dame-Tsuna? Look at where it got you! You were so loved by Namimori..."

He sobbed and sobbed holding all the pieces of the cat in his arms.

It was almost evening, and he felt a presence behind him. It sent him shivers, but he was exhausted.

"Herbivore. Why aren't you home yet?"

It was Hibari, one of the last people he wanted to see

'Oh great. He's going to accuse me of animal abuse.'

He was muddy- just as always, but the cat... it didn't deserve it.

And as if on cue, he felt a hand on his collar pulling him up slowly making the cat's body pieces fall gently to the ground and then he felt a distinct sense of choking.

'If this is what hanging feels like... I'm going to cross it from my notebook.'

He was then dragged to who knows where... it was Hibari he was talking about. The prefect was probably going to find a place where he could be taken care of without suspicion. Goodbye to his shitty life.

He should have known better. His life was always trying to mess with him. He was instead thrown into the Namimori lake from a bridge, which was thinking positively, warmer and cleaner because it was still afternoon turning evening- meaning it was still warm. Namimori had hot afternoons, and warm evenings and frigid nights and mornings.

But the bad part was he didn't know how to swim, and Hibari was going back the direction he came from.

But his disciplinary committee was infinitesimally kinder than Hibari as they picked him from the lake and told him to go back home.

When he got back home, his mom looked disappointed, and he realized he was bruised and wet.

"Tsu-kun! You should know better than to play so rough! How can you be so careless! And you have school tomorrow! You should be more responsible."

He was wet, which showed his carelessness. It made his bruises look like it wasn't from a fight but rather from something silly and moreover... his upper half wasn't covered in blood because of the dip. It made his encounter with Hibari suspicious, and he dropped the idea from his head immediately and focused on his mom's lecture.

She berated him continuously and brought his energy level further down and finally told him to march upwards. His room greeted him with the screams of torturers and the gasping of his delusion and this time his mind and body were too exhausted to care. And he wrote in his book something else other than suicide notes for once.

He wrote to get a flower- Zinnia -the flower for remembrance of a friend. It was something his negative mind spoke ominously to him- something he'd have to get for the people who'd probably barge into his life if his delusion's prophecy was spot on. It was a flower which would probably have a major influence in his life if he doesn't end his first.

It was a race against time, and he wanted to win this one.

The next morning, he had acquired the flower from the Namimori flower shop and went to the alley he frankly wanted to forget existed.

He looked at the alley, feeling a bit shocked.

There was no leaky pipe and the alley was cleaned up and the barrel was removed. In its place was a small gravestone with a flower pot near it having a lily.

He bit his lips to remove any sort of conjecture from forming.

And placed the zinnia beside it and carved the name 'Natsu' on it before he double guessed himself.

and walked away.

His walk to the school was silent and peaceful, something he'd never thought he'd see in his entire life. In fact, no one even bothered to say a word or come closer to him, but there were whispers... so many whispers.

The group who he called his 'friends' didn't come by- it made him a bit happier... because he didn't want to see them right now.

In lunch, he sat under a tree his mind lead him to. There were people outright gasping that time and scuttling away. He looked up to see what the commotion was... and there was Hibari Kyoya sitting up.

Usually, he would do what any sane person did... running away to safety. But he was exhausted from the events and gave a simple bow (albeit more sincere than any he gave before). And for the first time, he ignored his mom when she gave complaints of his encounter with Hibari.

* * *

Preview:

He hated weakness and the brunette who had dull eyes and looked frail irritated him to no ends. But he hated the fact that he was curious about the enigma of the boy who did things the weak did while looking so smugly proud of it!


	3. The art of suicide

**Chapter 3**

**The art of suicide**

The Hibari family always told their youngest one that no one could hide their true nature. They also incorporated the sense of Survival of the fittest. Not to say they were Nazis or anything... but they were a powerful and confident bunch, so they didn't want anyone to put them down in any way. It was also the fact that their beliefs and convictions were sometimes too strong to be accepted by the people. They were overwhelming.

So the youngest member of the household, Hibari Kyoya was considered intimidating for his peers. But it wasn't like it affected Hibari in the slightest, because he had equal amounts of contempt at the weakness they continuously projected (this was a boy in kindergarten, to clarify)

He cruised through his kindergarten being an exceptional child, needless to say... but it was this period that a child he would know for the rest of his life made an impression on him that no one else did. But this impression wasn't anything good.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was a name he became familiar with, because he was infamous around town. He was known to be so useless that nature itself was playing natural selection to get rid of him as quickly as he could. But Sawada was, according to him, a rat.

Because he was persistent but had no benefits to offer. He was a nuisance but he came everyday to school regardless of what treatment he was subjected to. If only that, he would have been a bit impressed. But, no. Sawada had to display all his weakness on a neon board. He cried and cried until his mom had to come and soothe him and for once Hibari shared the same sentiment as his classmates. They cringed when they saw how embarrassing the kid was being and his mother had to look apologetic in his place to make the situation more bearable.

The kid was the the black sheep of Namimori, he was sure of it

Time passed and he was learning to use the tonfa his parents passed him. He was also being taught the ropes of jurisdiction of Namimori, but the fact was that he wasn't free from the curse of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The child had been a thorn in his side. He was always whining (as in crying) and he was covered in bruises everytime. He first thought that the brunette was being bullied, as was expected in the weak-gets-purged society but that wasn't the case. It seemed that the brunette was getting into fights (albeit that he wasn't the one starting them). It usually started with either him asking if he could join the group, which any sane person would refuse or that a group would come to him to make him their gopher. It the first case, the kid would keep on begging them until they agreed or the kicked him to the ground for the day so that the persistent rat wouldn't get up and pester them more. In the case they agreed, the group would be subjected to the most boring game they'd ever played, since every game was single-handedly ruined by the child who found many ways of messing up a game. He would then proceed to wail while he apologized.

If it was the latter case, the child would be so eager to complete the task but fail in actually completing it that it would annoy the group.

But then the child had to pick another annoying habit. Now instead of crying, he would put up a strong front when he messed up, which would lead the other group into so much irritation that they'd get into a fight which the boy didn't hesitate in giving back, accusing them of for not accepting him when he tried oh so hard.

In his first grade, he was given the title of chairman of Namimori elementary by his parents to gain experience. His parents never compelled him in any way, he just wanted responsibility to train and test himself. Because his family was whimsical as they were powerful. Each Hibari followed their passion and interests wholeheartedly an he wanted to protect Namimori.

That year was somewhat eventful with half of the year passing with him meeting Sawada Nana every week with her apologizing for her son's delinquency. That part of the year was irritating since it was the boy being the biggest handful, because he triggered disasters and made a lot of people angry because of his actions. It was like a chain reaction being set with anything the boy did! And everyone else were easy to keep in check.

But the second half was ...empty. Sawada Tsunayoshi opted to be a complete loner and you could never hear him speak, smile or do anything. He was a waste of resources and remained abysmal in sports and studies. It was irritating. It was as if his mere existence annoyed him. It was baffling at the same time. He could not understand why was he so concerned by the brunette.

What shamed him further was that apparently, the people who were his classmates also shared his sentiment. It was humiliating. He didn't enjoy picking on the weak. He knew they would be eliminated on their own or group together to make things better. It was nature in its finest after all.

But Sawada remained a lone wolf when he was so weak, he made Hibari's blood boil.

A month before he became a 2nd grader, an incident happened which changed the status quo of Sawada Tsunayoshi. Rumors reached him that the boy apparently loved the 'flower at the peak' (Takane no hana) Sasagawa Kyoko and people finally put him into his place desperately trying to remove his existence. It made him a bit pleased and he pushed down the part of him which growled irritatedly.

* * *

When he was a 5th grader, the muddled feeling cleared up slightly and he stopped feeling like he rejected parts of himself. It was because his ideals had changed that year.

He had gotten a report that a possible criminal offense had occurred and he took up the case, feeling angry as if pride had been broken. He had been learning criminal psychology from his parents and he had been observing the behavior of the people his parents arrested. He spent time profiling the citizens of Namimori at nights... and someone had to break his carefully managed system without a care?! He knew everyone in Namimori by heart for petes sakes!

He marched to the hospital room, seeing Sawada Nana and became shocked. The suspect was one of the people he categorized as harmless. Her background was very normal, her interactions with neighbours were regular and friendly, even pleasant.

Sure her husband was hardly around, but that made him think that there were chances she'd put her son into an abusive relation... but she had been funded appropriately to have a stress free life, and her husband had regular contact with her. The only thing which could have been irritating in her life would be how her son got constantly beat up and probably his whiny behavior.

He asked some questions to her

"Sawada Nana. Had there been any incidences which could make you think that would lead to today's circumstances."

She huffed and turned to him, almost rolling her eyes as if she had stated her points over and over again, but no one believed her.

"Hibari-kun, I think you must have gotten what I told the officer before. My Tsu-kun doesn't have any social problems. I mean, he stopped getting into fights. That boy finally listened to him."

Which made him blink twice at the inconsistency with what was actually happening.

"Tsu-kun is just a bit careless. It was all because he made a habit of eating snacks at the bathroom. He said it was because he didn't have time to study and he had to put in triple the effort if he wanted to catch up with everyone. My, he's getting so mature lately."

It was so strange that he looked into his case file again.

Sawada Tsunayoshi had a low IQ; he knew it since they went to the same school and he monitored everyone in Namimori. But it was precisely that fact which made things add up perfectly as well as make it seemed planned. It was puzzling.

Because a person could be dumb enough to think they're saving time by eating when they go to the bathroom, and a person could be stupid enough to have bleach into their food because they were clumsy and careless as well... but could they potentially die? No.

It was because your body can't digest or keep in that much bleach. Because it would cause his throat rough irritation, the taste would make him puke the contents immediately... but somehow, he had managed to keep in a dangerous quantity of bleach in one go? That would be ... downing an entire bottle in one go. Which was an idea which couldn't be carried out without having the victim accused of suicide.

"And Tsu-kun takes the food I prepare with him for that day. It's not like he hoards them and he looked energetic for the last months, so I let him continue the habit... since it seemed like it set him to ease."

The statement made it seem that he couldn't take small quantities per day, unless the boy wanted to die by purging. It would have forced Sawada Nana to stop him from continuing an unhealthy habit. If he managed to keep it down, he'd be sick and his diet would be strictly managed by his mother and would have forced him to stop this bathroom eating habit.

This would all be true if the boy really planned on committing suicide... which would have been expected of him, seeing that he had no friends and his environment constantly pushed him down. It would seem as if it was the people of Namimori forced him to give up his own life...

And did they have any right to determine who would be fit to continue the species? Because every being had its own strength. The very herbivores he didn't like, had their own survival mechanisms and were good in their own ways... and he could accept that.

It was as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. Filing down his mother's statements, he opened the door, expecting a devastated boy with a bitter truth his mother had to accept. He also had to file a suicide watch, as much as he didn't want to... he didn't want an imperfection to his beautiful town.

But when he opened the door, there was a Sawada Tsunayoshi who looked straight in his eye and looked over him, having the gall to be pissed that he had found something he shouldn't have learned.

He then... schooled his expression to that of complete surprise. It was such a sudden change it made him feel like the whole situation was rigged making him very uncomfortable. He had a glimpse at the officer to his side who looked outwardly confused, mimicking his true feelings.

He then saw Sawada Nana filling him on the details and Sawada Tsuna changing his expression from surprised to sheepish as perfect moments that it made him feel sick. The truth was clear; there was no way a person could ingest bleach enough to kill them accidentally.

But Sawada Nana seemed too eager to accept this reality and Sawada Tsunayoshi was willing to let her reality remain as rose-colored as possible.

He turned to the officer who also fell into the act, looking exasperated (the incompetent) and said.

"I want to investigate this case. Make it so that the family go for a trip."

There was a sinking feeling in his heart that his town wasn't as perfect as he thought it was.

* * *

A week later.

He entered the house with a neutral expression. He wanted to know the truth about the Sawadas, the household of the black sheep of Namimori.

His family had every way of going to an abusive relationship. His father was hardly around and his mother was constantly faced with the problems her son attracted- no friends, bullied everyday, bad grades, clumsy, stupid, had no athletic sense and was careless.

He climbed up to the bathroom, looking at the house plans, aiming to go to the heart of the problems- was it a suicide?

He opened the door and took a look around. He had previously sent his agents to mark down, areas of blood and fingerprints.

He opened his updated case file with the identification of whose fingerprints were found most.

His team brought the used cans, which thrown into garbage apparently the same day as the family had been discharged from the hospital... it was as if they were scared of something.

The cans, packets had the boy's fingerprints and the spoons and rim of some of the packets had the saliva of the brunette. Faint fingerprints of the boy were present at the bleach container, but the more apparent ones were from his mother... which made sense if the boy usually did some chores for her occasionally and she used it for cleaning purposes.

There was no blood, no vomit stains in the bathroom, but some of the snacks were spilled on the ground, judging by the chemical composition. His forensics team was really amazing.

The scent of bleach could also be concealed by... curiously... a room freshener which was suffocating in its vanilla scent.

His partner, Kusakabe Tetsuya, also picked up info about various scent refreshers being bought throughout the month by a small boy with spiky auburn hair, judging by the video footage and shop registers in Namimori.

It was strange... but could also be put down as a quirk. It wasn't substantial evidence. It didn't help that Sawada Nana was forgetful... in fact, it was if she was avoiding the incident instinctively.

But he couldn't ask any questions to Sawada Tsunayoshi, a boy he had convinced himself off, as a dimwit. It wasn't because he felt guilty, but it felt that he would fall into a trap if he'd ask him. It was the feeling of a predator behind the calculating gaze; he felt when he turned away from the boy.

And he felt that Sawada Tsunayoshi knew this too, as he would often sport an irritated expression when he'd look at the prefect.

When he opened Sawada's room, a voice sounding like that of the boy made its was to his ears, and he was startled. His eyes searched through the room and something moved in the mirror and made his mind race faster. He marched to the mirror, but seeing nothing, berated his mind for being so paranoid. But he filed away his experience for future contemplation. If there was one thing he learned from being a Hibari, it was to never doubt himself.

His eyes wandered to beneath the boys' bed to see a diary-like notebook and a cosmetics box.

The items confused him and his pride wouldn't let him pry.

He looked around the room to see toys and comics, typical of an average boy... but they were dusty and hardly used. Just what did the boy do? He was hardly in the streets, primarily since he was the town's favorite target. His mother seemed to have idealized opinions of him, signifying that she didn't talk to him a lot.

The boy was an enigma, and he had the distinct feeling he was being watched... so he left the room, thinking of the consequences of being observed, even though he felt ridiculous and paranoid.

Later on, a week later

He looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi who glared at him for a second before changing his expression to that of a neutral one and bowed to him slightly before turning away. His body language told him to keep away, but the prefect felt even more curious than everything.

Strange things were happening in Namimori, well fairly strange things.

The police force he had gotten acquainted with, were slowly trying to persuade him to drop the case. They told him that he was being obsessive, he could have agreed with it... but then they had to say that the boy was just so clumsy he always seemed to be at death's door. They said that his stupid actions were just begging for death's scythe and then proceeded to laugh.

It made him so tense, he ended up intimidating them into silence.

He felt lost for the first time in his life, not knowing if he had to just drop the case as everyone in Namimori did, claiming that the boy was just Dame-Tsuna or that he pursued this for a feeling of unease?

He hated the feeling of weakness and the next day when he saw Sawada Tsunayoshi, that upward twist in his lips irritated him to huge extents. That herbivore was attempting`the most stupid acts that weaklings do for relief, and he had the gall to look so smug about it!

That night, his parents had sat across him, and he was checking over the details he wanted Kusakabe to check into- the cosmetics shop clientele for the year, people lurking around the alleys for the month, the airport security footage for the last five years.

His father's intense stare shifted his attention, and he looked straight at him.

"Kyoya, I've heard that you've been investigating Sawada Tsunayoshi for the past 4 months. Drop the investigation."

"If you'd read the case file, you'd realize that-"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi was attempting suicide. What about it? It wasn't anything strange, it was just one woman in denial."

"...You checked up on my case file."

"The cosmetics Sawada bought, were for concealing his wounds. He didn't want to worry his parent. It was common deception."

"The cosmetics shop hasn't got a customer with his description."

"Yamamoto Takeshi assisted him."

"...What?!"

Yamamoto Takeshi was a jock in his school. It was so unlikely that he had contact, let alone any long lasting relation with the most infamous loser in Namimori.

"Kurokawa Hana, a friend of Takeshi attested to it. She was playing proxy, getting all the cosmetics. She had told me that he needed it because his manager wanted it, and included it for the list of team supplies."

"That's mixing personal with professional needs."

'And it's the smallest issue out of all these.'

"He said it didn't seem to matter."

"What's his relation to the victim? Why was he assisting him in his suicide?"

'Why did the case get even more complicated.'

"He claimed they were classmates, so he wanted to help him out."

"Help? For what?"

"Apparently... it was a gift for his mother's birthday."

"When did they buy it?"

"...March 15th."

'He's lying. He was lying both times. He's making this part on the fly' he had to struggle to keep his expression neutral. Why was he trying to add false statements to the case? Why was he saying that the cosmetic was bought 2 weeks before Sawada Nana's birthday? He was going against his doctrine, for pity's sakes!

His expression remained neutral even though he saw his son's expressions twitch uneasily. It was an expression of weakness and he wasn't being called out for it!

His father's testimony was getting to be useless. But there was another angle he could approach.

"Why are you investigating this case too? You've investigated this deeper than I have and I've been trying to get to the bottom of this case in the quickest method using the most legal means."

he ignored the part of his mind that claimed that checking a house without a warrant wasn't legal.

Then he saw the same small guilt appear on his father's face. His mother interrupted the conversation sharply.

"Enough with the lies" and she looked straight into his eyes and spoke.

"The evidence in the case has been tampered with."

"What? "

"It was because you wanted to know the plane details, just like your father did."

Before he could reply, his father glared at her.

"I wanted to know the motive if the case was that of child abuse."

Hibari interrupted his father looking incredulous.

"It was of suicide."

His father looked back at him, mimicking his expression.

"The boy had a record for not being able to be that cunning. It would affect his analytical skills. If he had that sort of intellect, don't you think it would affect his intellectual skills? I've questioned his teachers; he has no signs of anything remotely intelligent."

"His academics have no relation to his actual intellect."

"What nonsense, Kyoya. Your mind is completely muddled with emotion. What does this case have against you that is making you so irrational?!"

"That boy has played this so well that he's got the entirety of Namimori under a haze. The people think it's natural to have him die in a ditch because he's so incompetent. That thinking is strange."

"That's why I think Sawada Nana was planning homicide."

"She's unassuming."

"That's what I said for Sawada Tsunayoshi."

His mother coughed to interrupt the heated discussion.

"What if it really was an accident?"

"You're playing right into Sawada Nana/Tsunayoshi's hand." they both growled at her at the same time.

She looked at them one last time and moved to her room and brought back a file.

"Close the investigation if you're planning on following the line that Sawada Nana should be held for attempted murder."

His father glowered at her, and the prefect looked at him in confusion.

"Your father found an interesting point in the case, and was following that line of reasoning instead."

"Enough. I'll drop the case. He doesn't need to hear of this" looking at his son's irritation for being shunned from information, he clarified.

"Kyoya, you're obsessed with the case. I'll take it up in your line of reasoning if you insist. Namimori has other issues to be addressed" when his son looked like he was going to object.

"My decision is final. Unless you've got a good reason why you want to take up the case instead, I'm not handing command."

Hibari Kyoya couldn't help but huff a breath full of irritation, his patrol being more violent than ever before, with people literally running for their life when they had a glimpse of him.

Though his irritation increased tenfold when he saw Sawada Tsunayoshi and his sigh of relief when he looked at him.

* * *

In the afternoon at the disciplinary committee room, Kusakabe Tetsuya stretched out an arm having the information. He looked at it and remembered the requests he was checking up last night. He waved his hand in dismissal.

"The case is dropped."

and then the boy he considered, a fairly decent assistant spoke in tangents.

"Kyo-san, do you remember how we met?"

He gave a warning glare at his assistant, unwilling to get into any sort of reminiscing bullshit.

"I was recommended to see you. I was shocked at the suggestion since I was a top delinquent at that time. It irritated me and I threatened him, but he merely giggled and told me to try it out for a week. We were in frequent clashes and I couldn't believe that he could even suggest that, seeing that he was in most of the scenes when it occurred... though we had different circumstances. I beat him up that day, my temper getting the better of me.

But the idea stuck, and the next day I went to try it out, to pass time. He hollered out to me from a tree, to wear the school gakuran and wear a pompadour.

I was amused and bored, so I entertained the idea.

But what was initially for amusement, ended up being something which makes my pride and soul."

His prattling irritated him, and he was preparing to leave the room, giving one last chance to the assistant seeing that he had been tolerable all this while.

But the next time, he wanted to be a chatterbox, he'd bite him to death. He'd keep to that promise.

"Kyo-san... The one who told me to do that was Sawada Tsunayoshi."

The prefect stopped and turned around, confused at the revelation.

"I had doubts regarding his character at that time. I dropped it, but I just wanted to let you know that it didn't feel like you were obsessed with his case. Something is strange with that boy. After a month from the interview, he looked at me with a look like he had predicted it right. It made me shudder."

Hibari looked at his assistant carefully and then looked at the window, assessing the situation.

"I'm dropping the case."

But then he looked at Tetsuya and said.

"Fix a meeting with Yamamoto Takeshi. I have something to clarify."

"Kyo-san!-"

"I want the meeting place and the time today, given to me immediately."

"Yes!"

* * *

In the evening, at Namimori park.

Yamamoto Takeshi sat at a swing with a dark expression, but it lightened up to a cheerful facade when he saw Hibari Kyoya. Unfortunately for him, the prefect had seen both expressions, cementing his findings.

"Yo! Hibari-san. I never thought I'd be singled down by you in my life, ahahaha. Is it about that day when I snuck in the Takesushi snacks to school? Sorry, sorry. The guys there wanted a sample of the types of food Pops made. We could never have enough customers, ahahaha.

You should try them too, Hibari.

I think you'd love them."

He said, flashing a blinding glare at him.

The prefect realized he was offered bait that would sidetrack him (school regulations against advertising in school grounds). The boy he thought was a simpleton, seemed a bit more manipulative.

"You're talking too much. What are you hiding?"

"Sorry Hibari-san, The guys and I talk our mouths away. Baseball's way too interesting.

The ball would go whizz and you'd have to make the bat go ka-krack against it and when it flies it feels so good!"

He decided that he had to go for a direct attack if he wanted any information from him, even more so, now that the topic of baseball was being brought up.

"I heard that you were using club funds for personal needs. Particularly for getting your hands on cosmetics. Why would you do that when your manager could have easily bought it?"

"I get that we were wrong for using club funds for personal needs. We wanted to show our appreciation for our manager. She's really dedicated to the club. She even has split nails from fly balls to our infielders. Oh right, infielders are-"

"She doesn't have any use of makeup. I've checked up on her. She's the epitome of a sports lover, from checking her behavior and records. She's hardly seen with makeup. Why would she need it all of a sudden?"

"Hibari-san, a girl needs makeup to look prettier. It's like the dew drops on a flower- an accent to further beautify things, like an angle at which your features are best portrayed-"

This wasn't getting anywhere, he had to get to the heart of the matters.

"The makeup kit with the same serial number was found in Sawada Tsunayoshi's room. He was recently in an incident where he ingested a large amount of bleach through some means and was found hospitalized."

There! The jock could either go into the details when he would question him on how he got this information, and he could use this as an advantage to wring information from him.

Or he could be genuinely shocked and slip the needed details so he could piece together the puzzle.

"That was the makeup which we wanted to give our manager? Well yeah, since it was to be a present. She looks adorable when she tries so hard. But we spend all our time in the field, so we didn't know what to give her. But thankfully, our captain's got a girlfriend-"

He wanted to bite that jock to death. How did he make the wrong connection from that topic to this? He was too idiotic and his patience was running thin. But he had to keep his temper in check. He couldn't spend his time in this case for that long of time. His parents were right, Namimori had other issues.

"Did you know Sawada Tsunyoshi attempted suicide?"

The jock looked at him with an unreadable glance for a moment and then said.

"What?! When did this happen?"

"His mother thought that drinking enough bleach to be hospitalized was an accident."

"Are you consulting me on a case, Hibari? I don't really get the logic in cases, it's too complicated."

"His bathroom habits started this year; his hospitalization took place this year, his interest in buying different room-fresher fragrances started this year. His cosmetics case was bought this year, and the forensics have the proof. The years before this, his mother was using cosmetics which seemed to dwindle rapidly every time she checked, and this is her testimony. She stopped for some reason this year. One bottle of bleach was swallowed, it was the amount which was pumped out- it matches the medical report.

His stomach was bloated with ingesting too much, and his mother attests against him for binge eating habits. She attests that he had a stress free life full of friends. And we both know the truth is different-"

"Tsuna's my friend!" the baseball jock screamed and then put his hands over his mouth, realizing his mistake.

"Yamamoto, give me the truth."

The jock glared at him. A herbivore related to Sawada gave him a glare, adding to his collection of a grand total of 2 people who glared at him in his life. Strange things happened when he checked up on the brunette.

"Hibari, I refuse to sell him out."

He threw a guess into the conversation, hoping it'll give light to the investigation.

"Because he helped you out in the darkest hour of your life? When no one else did?"

The jock's eyes widened and his body shrunk into itself defensively.

"Who did you hear it from?!"

"I have my sources. I've been investigating the case for a long time after all."

He thought a bit and decided to put another guess. No risks no gain after all.

"Who knows, it might have been Sawada who gave me a tidbit."

Then the jock laughed and his posture relaxed, making the prefect tense up at the aspect that the gamble failed.

"Tsuna wouldn't do that. It'd hurt his secret as well. And he doesn't want anyone in the world to know what he's doing."

Hibari's eyes widened and more pieces fit together in the case, in fact, the puzzle was almost completed.

"You attempted suicide?"

Then Yamamoto started to sweat, his arms folded and his hands grasped at his arm as he feigned a fierce look, eyes narrowing in anger.

"This whole thing was a bluff, right?"

Hibari looked unaffected at the behavior, he didn't care if his act got found out since he got the vital information he was looking for... but it didn't change the bitter aftertaste. But the truth was worth it.

The other gripped his hair in frustration.

"I'm such an idiot! I gave both our secrets away."

"To be fair, Sawada's case was a bit transparent.", the withering look Yamamoto gave him did NOT get on his nerves.

"Hibari... don't look down on my information circle. It helps to be an ace of the baseball group sometimes. You're not on the investigation anymore, right?"

He looked at the jock baffled.

"I wouldn't have even come if you were on it."

"I would have bitten you to death."

"Yeah, and I'd let you."

* * *

It was a confusing turn of events.

"Then why?"

"Tsuna does interesting things. So I figured you must be the same as me."

He couldn't deny it. Sawada Tsunayoshi turned into an enigma from when he became an elementary grade student. He just couldn't pin him under a category.

"That case you were on was the perfect case to check into him, wasn't it."

He looked at Yamamoto suspiciously.

"Like you were saying, I was a part of his plan, so of course, I was careful. Tsuna doesn't really pay attention to his surroundings or how time passed. My dad told me to ignore the preparation time Tsuna took, look at where that landed me Ahahaha" his laugh was dry and humorless. It also made him add his dad to the list of people who required further background check.

"Well at least your obsession with details made you drop out of the case instead. So everything did turn out fine" the boy had the gall to look patronizing at him.

"...Why were you helping him?"

Yamamoto looked disdainful.

"He has an irritating hobby."

It was a statement which made him flabbergasted. His off guard look made the jock laugh.

"You mean... the boy likes to commit suicide as a hobby?"

Then he looked somber.

"You know a part of the truth, I might as well tell you the whole truth. I got my arm injured before summer vacation. We had to prepare for the koshien, and we had a summer camp. I... couldn't tell my teammates that some people from another school ganged up on me. "

He filed the information for further investigation.

"Gosh, you're such a workaholic.

Well getting back to topic, I told my teammates I wasn't going to the camp, so they... assumed it was because I didn't need to practice to... win...

Anyway, I was in a ... pretty bad place.

I had supplementary too... I couldn't concentrate with... everything and the constant shouts from the teachers didn't help me.

I was ... kind of... depressed...

I climbed to the school roof one day, and things felt very vague to me. It was just my mind-muddling up."

* * *

The terrace was wide and the skies were clear, but his arm stung and the doctor's words rung loud.

"Your arm might not work to its full capacity. It's a fracture, it means that with enough exertion, you could be back to a fracture or a dislocation in a better case.

You might also experience mental trauma with an image of a bat."

It was true, he couldn't look at the bat without remembering the bat with people surrounding him and taunting him with the same lines his teammates told him when he told he couldn't come that summer.

He climbed up the fence without knowing and the wind blew across him, making his balance unsteady. His heart beat wildly, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He just looked at the ground and wanted to see a black dream. He wanted everything to end.

He was just so tired.

So... so... tired.

He had experienced life to whatever fullest he did. They won the koshien before, and even if he did recover, he did not care for the surprises life had to offer him.

It was a routine already. It was mighty egoistic for him to say such things, but the fact was... he was tired.

Just then, the door opened and the person he least expected to come appeared: It was Dame-Tsuna.

He looked surprised and then came closer.

The baseball lover laughed in contempt.

"Dame-Tsuna is feeling pity for the ace of the baseball team? Do you like the fact that I've fallen lower than you've did?"

The boy didn't say a thing and climbed over the fence with ease... like he's done this before. He stretched out his hand.

"What? You've been here before? Well, of course, you would. You couldn't handle how useless you were, huh? Now when someone's in the same scenario... you wanna play the HERO huh?

I'm going to jump."

Then the boy looked straight at his eye, blazing gold oddly... and spoke in such confidence, he wondered why he didn't show this side of him before.

"Well duh, I know that's why I'm stretching my hand."

Yamamoto looked down, he's gonna talk about my parents and people who're gonna miss me when I die... looks like even the most inept person in his life can be cooler than him.

"Ok so touch the fence to your right' and I'll put my fingerprints on it to look like I've tried to pull you up but the fence breaks and I slip and fall with you.

So we accidentally fall to our deaths."

His eyes widened and his voice squeaked.

"What?"

"We've got a survival chance of 2%, which is pretty low, especially if we fall with our head first. But you probably need a way to explain to your parents if you survive. It was kinda hard when I tried it before. By the way, Hibari's the toughest nut to crack. He's still on to me."

"You've tried suicide before?"

"Yeah, drank bleach. It's been a secret so far. Namimori thinks it's the job of a clueless, careless kid... Just like I wanted to."

"...Why are you telling me this stuff if it's a secret?"

"Hmm? You're going to die. I'm going to die. The only ones who know the truth would be the ones who died from this building jump. If we survive, we could claim temporary amnesia.

We're both good actors anyway."

"Actors...?"

"Well, you deflect answers to a direction you want consciously by using a part of their previous answer and using a completely different sentence or topic to change the direction of the conversation. People usually attribute that to a person being clueless, but it's a very clever tactic."

It was the first time someone caught him that way, but he didn't want it to be in a situation like this.

"Hibari's case is going to be dropped if this one's a success, but my mom wouldn't take part in it actively and your dad won't testify against this, thinking I tried to stop you. Besides he'd be more worked up over being the only one left in his family."

His eyes teared up as he heard his classmate speak.

"What? Oh, don't worry about the pain, it would be excruciating for a tenth of a second. It's not much if you land on your head. But if you want, I grabbed painkillers from the nurse's office."

"...How...?"

"It's easy if you were the bully victim."

"...Could it be... this bullying stuff...was because you triggered it?"

"I was an easy target. I had a crush on the most popular girl in school. People would hate to see even a small success rate happen. Then, my questions and interruptions in class indicating my struggle to keep up, would get people irritated. And me fumbling and stuttering would irritate people with already tension-filled lives.

If they get bored, I give the perfect reaction to fuel their behavior."

"Why?"

"Because it gives me a detailed analysis of the weak places in my body." He showed a book, which noted the number of punches, kicks, muscle strength to bruise locations in his body and the frequency some part was targetted with each type of conversation.

The jock looked dumbstruck.

"Ok, leaving that aside... Let's get the plan rolling."

The brunette looked so nonchalant that by panic, the jock pulled at his sleeve, making it tear easily.

"Hey, my clothes tear easily. It has only one cross threading done over it anyway."

"They aren't the school's?"

"What, you're planning on tattling to Hibari for an improper modification of uniforms? I don't have the money to get new clothes, and I can't afford to go naked to school."

"Doesn't your parent-"

"You and I both don't want our parents to get into guilt tripping."

His eyes widened as he realized what he was actually planning to do... what he was getting into.

His eyes then darted in full panic towards the other boy who had the same intentions as he did.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do?! Your parents are going to be so upset you died! Won't you miss them?! Are you going to leave them behind?!"

The boy looked annoyingly apathetic.

"Yamamoto, you're forgetting that this isn't my first attempt."

"Oh right, the bleach." he remembered answering in a small voice.

"Pfft, you got it. That was the most successful one."

'most successful one. Oh dear lord.' he felt dizzy.

"I don't want to do this anymore." he said, remembering his dad and how lonely he looked when his mom passed away.

"Takeshi... mom died, but papa's gonna do his best to be there for you WHENEVER you need it. Papa can't be a mom, but papa's gonna try his very best...

So Takeshi... please don't Leave me... please."

The brunette looked disheartened, and it caught on his nerves.

"...When did you... plan this?" he said as he climbed over the unbroken fence, every word his classmate said ringing in his head.

He looked serenely at him, sending chills to the bottom of his spine.

"From the start of the summer vacation, the beginning of the supplementary classes." he then proceeded to f*cking smile and Yamamoto never felt as much of a desire to wipe a gorgeous smile from a person's face.

"Well it was an idea in the beginning, but it got solidified after a week."

* * *

Yamamoto looked at Hibari and gave him a wistful smile

'We might have completely different personalities, but there's something we both want to keep.'

"I tried to jump off, but Tsuna wanted to jump with me."

And looking at the way the prefect tensed, he smiled a bit wider seeing that, they did have the same intentions.

"I backed out in the last minute and forced Tsuna over as well."

The prefect relaxed and he let out an easy laugh.

"Sure he was pissed, but yeah, we both grumbled our way out of supplementary. Ahahaha."

It was a talk which set his mind to ease, as well as install a new policy in his system. Especially since there were idiots who thought erasing competition, no matter how scarce it was, seemed like a good idea. Weaklings, the lot of them. They deserved to be bitten to death.

And this time, he could glare back at the brunette when he shot him looks of disdain, with absolutely no feelings of regret or unease.

* * *

Coming back to the most recent incident, when he became a 7th grader

He had gone to school, digging a hole at the cleaned up alley, not even caring for the desecration of public property and putting the being in the makeshift grave as an honor for protecting a Namimori student, and leaving a yellow rose as proof of being the newest member of the disciplinary committee.

The man who had kept the barrel outside as a part of the setup for the leaky pipe had been bitten to death for being so weak to seek a temporary solution.

And the barrel was burnt for holding a source of contamination and being a passive bystander to crimes (no matter how illogical it sounded because Hibari was law.)

And the miscreants were treated just like how miscreants were, with a permanently black record, and a fixed (and recurring) appointment to the psychiatrist with broken bones and teeth. They were to participate in recreational activities to actually be worth the resources invested in them.

They were also threatened to never group together or approach students for malicious intents and were blacklisted in the surveillance system installed in the town, which now included obscure alleys.

And there was more committee members patrolling town.

When he saw the brunette approach his tree at the break, his eyes hardened as he thought.

'You reap what you've sown' and reproached the part of him that wanted to beat the boy for looking like his soul got crushed.

He glanced at Yamamoto who was looking at the brunette from the window and then back at Tsunayoshi.

When the boy didn't glare at him for ONCE and sat there, he gave a grunt of approval and relaxed completely at the branch.

When he looked at the gravestone engraved 'Natsu', he paused and removed his jacket and placed it over the stone.

'Those herbivores better see what they're up against if they touch that jacket. I'll feed their grinded bones to them.'

A new activity was added to the roster of the disciplinary committee: Alley cleaning.

If the gravestone looked clean from the day onwards, it was because the committee couldn't leave the dusted jacket of Hibari over a dirty place. It was for no other reason.

* * *

**Preview:**

The torture had changed from drowning to peeling nails. Even though Tsuna watched it through, he couldn't keep still and his heart was racing and the memory was replaying.

He didn't want any deja- vus this time.

So he'd explore how true the world was with respect to the tales his delusion told him... chances are they aren't (He hoped so. He hoped it wasn't true with all his heart.)

So he checked out the place which couldn't exist.


	4. The blacklisted company called Life

**Chapter 4**

**The Blacklisted company called Life**

Delusions are a safe haven for people who feel devastated. This applied to Sawada Tsunayoshi, even though he would claim that he did not like what his delusion has been getting into these days. But it wasn't too bad since the torture had been shifted from drowning to something a bit more sinister. Maybe the other's tormentors got bored... or realized this wasn't going to work anymore

Well, he thought it was going to progress into something more sinister because he felt anxious that the other was also left alone... just like how he was these past few days

For a child who had been bullied his whole life, not getting bullied was more terrifying than getting bullied. Because it took away his sense of normalcy. And besides, if his normal world consisted of being tormented everyday, a little manipulation to keep things the way they were, yet get something out of it was fairplay. Because you make do with what you have

Tsuna was a sensitive kid. He had cried when he got rejected when he had tried any way he could think of, to be accepted by someone. He got angry when he felt the injustice he got treated to, just because he couldn't do the things people considered 'normal'. But then, he later realized that all his efforts were being kicked into dust and decided to keep what little he had dear to him. He tried to feel happy with what was given to him, albeit bruises, injuries and a dead self-esteem but then... he wasn't allowed to keep even that with him. He lost one of his treasures, and he felt lost.

Natsu was out of his life and he was left isolated from his peers completely for whatsoever reason...

The day after Natsu's grave got the disciplinary committee's coat; Tsuna felt that Natsu wasn't his treasure anymore. It was because the committee members never let anyone near it, let alone touch it. They claimed that Hibari-san would probably bite them to death if they left something in his care to possible ruin by something like sabotage

And they basically accused Tsuna of that. Yes, they were implying that the guy everyone in Namimori bullies would desecrate someone's grave. As if Tsuna would destroy Natsu's grave. As if it was Tsuna, who was the one who broke its body into pieces of meat. He was the one forced to hear his bullies laugh out a biology lesson as they held him down.

* * *

"Oh look Dame-Tsuna. There's the intestine. It looks similar to that of a human. What'd you know, our biology lesson did help us out. But I bet you weren't paying attention, as usual, So I'll be very kind and tell you."

And Tsuna had been pushed forward as the cat was groaning softly and he couldn't stop BEGGING them to stop. His mind had shut down at that point and he was living on pure primal fear.

"Since it's only a glimpse, you may not be able to see everything, so let's see how similar it is to the actual intestine. Hey, I sounded just like the professor right?"

And they hit the stone around the rest of its body and made the organ spill through. Tsuna felt butterflies around his stomach as his body temperature rose so high, he felt uncomfortable staying there. He couldn't stop swallowing as his stomach clenched up as his eyes spilled waterfalls.

His words were garbled and his mutters with his scrunched up face made his bullies continue the act with glee, for they never before incited this kind of reaction from the boy.

"It's better if it's more practical right? This would be better hands on!"

And they proceeded to drag his limp arms which needed no more force, just like his legs which were paralyzed from shock. His eyes widened when his mind slowly supplied where his arms were going.

"W-w-w-waait. P-pulise. I-I don wunt tuu" his wobbly voice which refused to speak coherently. It was the only other voice other than the laughter, Natsu had been silenced for good. His knowledge of any language vanished that moment. His heart beat violently, and he didn't want to be here, but his limbs wouldn't obey. He sobbed and his nose dripped and his head bowed down.

"Dame-Tsuna. Speak properly. You've gone to school right? You're our classmate alright, even though it's hard to believe. And lift your head like a man, you loser."

And they forcefully lifted his head and pushed his body forward, laughing.

His arms stretched and his hand splayed across the nearest thing it could to keep his balance, his clumsiness working against him for the first time and he DESPISED it... because it landed right on top of the torn body. And in his shock, his heart felt like it stopped and his hand slipped, forcing him forward, his hand slipping to the left and into its body.

"What are you panicking so much? Never seen road kill before?"

His vision felt like it had black spots as he scrambled back, his mind ringing, with the only thing he could hear, being his heart beat. But the force he had to do it, made something move with his hand and it made him feel like he could barf...

His vision tunneled and he felt his breath quicken.

From that time... he did not understand what happened. It felt as if time stopped and when he realized, he was alone and the something became recognizable... Natsu's...

...

...

...

Heart-

* * *

His breath choked up again from the memory, making him want to puke his breakfast. His thoughts turned dark.

'Well, they weren't wrong in assuming I might desecrate the grave. I've already done that with the body after all' His eyes turned dead, as he walked on to school, his body tensing for the meeting with his 'friends' who always 'welcomed' him at the gates. He couldn't expect more than the small mercy of yesterday's silence.

But then... there were whispers. His already tense body couldn't handle it, his thin thread of sanity ready to break any moment. He saw no one at the gate. He walked forward and the wind seemed to want to knock him down and he felt exhausted, trying to muster the energy to walk onwards.

He didn't want to feel the currents and he looked around from the corner of his eyes to see if a person could give him an excuse to fall down and catch up to his mental reality. It was as if he was in a ghost town, and the people around him were an apparition. They refused to come near him, like he had a disease. It made him uneasy.

He wanted a proof that he existed and he wanted it at that moment, no matter what means he chose. So he tripped and fell down. Now the whispers quietened down and he felt like he had gone deaf. The people around him had then shuffled forward, ignoring that he existed.

He wanted to cry his heart out. So he did, trying to heal his sensitive heart for what seemed like the first time since first grade.

He reached class with puffy red eyes and a dripping nose. Expecting ridicule, he hung his head and opened the door, seeing the teacher teach the class. He stood there, waiting for the scolding and the triggered laughter which followed it. Instead, the hubbub of the class quietened, and the chalk stopped hitting the board for what seemed like an eternity- but was actually five minutes.

Then a cough circulated throughout the class and the teacher continued the class like he wasn't at the door waiting for permission.

No one looked at him and his throat lost his voice, so he stood there flapping his mouth, hoping for words to come to attract their attention, maybe tell him to get lost or get inside...

The class ended and the teacher moved across him, not even letting their shoulders bump and he felt like he was a cockroach. He moved in to sit in his seat, which had no graffiti, no 'gifts' and no flower in a vase. The irony was... that he felt like he was truly dead that moment, without the flower vase*. His mind was swirling and he couldn't process anything.

No one called him out when the class representative told everyone to stand and wish the teacher when she entered the class, his mind was too busy muddled up to care. His lost mind started doing the acts he was used to doing. He raised his hand when the teacher was asking if anyone got a doubt. Her eyes didn't even sweep over him and he felt like a cold bucket was dropped over his shoulder.

In lunch, everyone immediately left the classroom and he was left alone. He jerkily got up and took out his lunch box and opened the cover for the first time in his life. He did not know what it tasted like, but he knew one thing. It was meant to be on the ground if he couldn't manage to close his mouth to chew it even once.

The classes after that were absolute hell. His panicked mind made him do really stupid things. He tripped from a chair. Accidentally spill water at his nearest classmate then spill the remaining at his teacher when he stumbled away. Ram the back of his head at the chair then ram his forehead at the desk. He even made his eraser cut into pieces when it hit the fan because of his shaky fingers. But NO ONE said a thing. No eye-roll, no tongue-clicking, no glares. They didn't dare look at him.

He stood petrified at the school gate when classes ended. His feet lead him no destination. He only noticed that he was alone because his mind arbitrarily decided to remind him, his mother would be lonely.

He walked back home and his mother called out to him.

"Tsu-kun, dinner's ready! Come downstairs and set up the table."

His eyes turned downcast as he robotically set up the table. His mother hummed and sat down across him and took the remote control and started the TV. He...

spent the dinner playing soccer with the peas on the spaghetti. Apparently, she decided to go Italian tonight. How unexpected!

She hollered out to him, bringing him back to earth.

"Tsu-kun, keep your dishes at the wash basin after your done. Papa's going to call Mama tonight. Isn't that romantic of him?"

He thought he nodded to her, but it wasn't like it mattered since he remembered her turning immediately after telling him that. She even had a little skip in her steps.

He felt his heart crushed, even though he thought it was dead the moment he saw Natsu's very own-

His hand reached out for the handrail of the stairs. His body wasn't keen on listening to him at the moment so he needed all the support he could get.

His room was silent and no water splashing could be heard. He often heard from forums and sites, that if his life didn't have the people that did those things to him, he'd be happier. But the only thing he had gotten from it, was SILENCE. He was starting to despise the thing.

He took the mirror to see if it was triggered to mute hoping to switch it back on. But there was nothing, just his delusion slumped back against the wall, looking just like he did.

He waited... and waited... but nothing happened. So he slumped back against the wall against his bed and stared at the mirror until sunrise. He couldn't sleep a wink.

School that day was JUST like the previous day, but this time he had slept throughout the class; sparing him any pain with black dreams. There was no pain to distract him from his lucid neverending buzz of thoughts.

He walked until the most crowded area in the school, relishing in the sound which blasted near his ears. His class hours were torture and he couldn't tell if his ears were working.

Days passed by with him blankly looking ahead at a silent class, taking refuge in a noisy break and spending evenings staring at a blank 'Tsuna'

Until... what he thought was the worst thing in his life turned out to be better than what happened next.

Everyone did not turn completely silent when Tsuna showed up and he didn't have to stealthily sneak in at recess to hear people talking. Everyone just... ignored him.

They could bump into his shoulders, but show no evidence of actually bumping into him. No turning back, glaring, apologizing, staring or whispering to each other.

They could walk straight into him, making him sidestep, but not acknowledge he was there.

He could move in and out of classrooms, but not get scolded, reported or even looked at.

No one cared if he stepped into or out of lines (he wanted to see if anyone got angry or confused when he stepped out of it)

Namimori didn't have many streets with cars in it since everyone could walk to their destination in town, because the town was small... so it was not like he could test it out with traffic.

By the end of it, he felt like his entire existence was denied and he couldn't stop crying. People could see him and it was like his kindergarten over again.

But no one called out on him being so pathetic.

His mother's joy in having the week talking to his dad did not help him at all. And this time, his mind couldn't guilt him into feeling bad. Instead, it looked for ANY sign someone knew he was alive.

* * *

The next day,

He went to the Namimori hospital, thinking that if his 'friends' were missing those days, they couldn't have done so without incurring Hibari's wrath. So they just HAD to be there. At this point, he was willing to have the devil, if it meant having someone notice him.

He didn't know where they were, so he reached for the nearest nurse next to him in a do or die effort. It seemed, like even if people were hell-bent on ignoring him if he tried approaching first they'd avoid him like a plague. So he had to do this before the nurse knew it was him. So he tugged at her backshirt, keeping a tight grip voicing out thoughts with a raspy unused voice.

"E-excuse me."

She looked in total fear at him, but he couldn't care less. He was noticed!

He then asked her where his friends were, which she replied a hasty.

"They transferred- claimed the punishment was too tough." and scurried away, leaving his hand grasping at air.

His hope felt extinguished and he slumped back to his home, and sat at the bedroom, eyes turning to the mirror.

"So, you're still sticking around" a weak voice called out to him. He bounced closer to it, eyes eager. 'Tsuna' looked tired, but he noted.

"I've never seen you look so eager to listen to me."

Someone was talking to him! He didn't care who, someone was talking to him!

'He' looked like 'he'd' been starved. 'He' had been slumped against the wall for all the time 'he'd' seen him. Which was strange, his morbid mind supplied him. It had been a month since Natsu died and 'he' had been locked in a supposed cell with no visible food sources... how had 'he' survived.

The other noticed the look of confusion and replied.

"In case you paid closer attention, you'd have seen the window across the cell show the same time zone as yours. And if you'd remember, I did mention it before, that this world was a parallel universe to yours."

Then Tsuna pieced things together.

"T-This wasn't a recording... W-why did you say that?"

"Because you looked like you wanted to do nothing with this. I wanted someone to be by my side."

He looked down. That was reasonable. He himself just wanted to be noticed right now.

"Looks like someone's finally empathizing with the 'delusion'. Hah! When I'm close to dying, you'd acknowledge me" 'he' glared at the boy.

"Waiy're yuu upset?" he cleared his throat and moved his jaw around. His lack of talking was making his conversations weird.

"It's all over. Byakuran found out the location of the rings before I could destroy them."

"I thought that a Byakuran was beaten by a Tsuna and their overlord versions got destroyed."

"Well, this Byakuran was the youngest. Ever thought of that possibility? That they were too young to implement the world takeover plan but could collect all the information they need? So they weren't an overlord but a potential overlord-to-be."

"Oh... In a way that's kind of funny, it's like an rpg game." he rasped out.

"...see if it's funny when you're the Mafia Boss."

"I won't be" there! his voice finally stopped cracking, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling now that he could hold a conversation with someone.

"It's a parallel world. That just means the journey could be different. But we are all Sawada Tsunayoshis and there is only one destiny for us: To be a mafia boss."

He glared at his delusion.

"Tell you what. I'll list somethings you can find in Namimori that are always the same. There's Momokyokai a yakuza organization."

To which the brunette snorted and looked elsewhere. His delusion huffed lightly, irritated.

"You're not planning on listening?"

"Give me one way, I can be associated with the mafia. Don't they value ties like the 'yakuza in Namimori'" he teased. Organized crime in Namimori... pfft.

"Your dad."

He looked shocked. That idiot?

"He's quite highly ranked on the ladder. Young Lion. CEDEF head. He's also powerful" looking at the other's skeptic eyes, he said.

"How do you think you can keep this huge house? Do you think they inherited it? Your parents had a love marriage that too by eloping! Your dad is a construction worker. Be logical. As if manual labor can land you a house. It's not a tiny house too, remember the guest rooms? What Inheritance? Your grandparents disowned their children. You can't get away with eloping and still have good relations. They probably don't even know where your parents are.

And the ridiculous photos? Antartica for drilling oil? In sweatshirts? Are you kidding? Become a star? When all he's sent are construction photos? And you know he can't sing or act for his life, right?"

He felt his heart beating loudly and his vision tunneling.

"It makes sense he can't visit often when it means that doing so, his family will be the next on a hitman's list.

I'll even add a bonus for you. Consider your life hell, when a baby with a yellow pacifier and black curls turns up at your door."

"Reborn..."

"Yes, the guy I mention a lot. You'll be dragged to the mafia, no complaints and then you'll lose everything you hold dear" the other broke into heart-wrenching sobs

Hearing his delusion show so much weakness for the first time made him, lose his guard completely and look at 'him' lost.

Eventually 'he' calmed down as he spoke brokenly

"Do you know what are the codes for a betrayal of the omerta? Vongola's is this-" and he looked squared into the brunette's eyes.

"Toenails are peeled off with forceps. First the left foot then the right foot. Then the fingernails with the device like the other end of a stapler. There is no anesthetic used.

That's for the grunts.

For big shots like you, the boss of the family-

We skin your skin off, peel by peel."

Tsuna shuddered, remember how they opened Natsu's body to show its-

"We break your toe bones after the initial bleeding.

Then, We break your finger bones. Then dislocate your joints."

He remembered the pained cried when the cat initially struggled, making the stone hit at the most horrible places. He'd never seen a cat look like that... and never wanted to know.

"We then rip their muscles apart and remove the less vital organs and crush them. We do give you drugs at this point- so that you don't lose consciousness."

He didn't want to remember the 'biology lesson'. He felt like puking.

"But that's just Vongola. Other famiglias, they f*ck the holes they make in you, c*m in your eyesockets and gunshot holes. I don't know what you'd prefer more.

What's wrong cat got your tongue?" Seeing Tsuna shiver at the last sentence, his delusion looked deadly serious at him.

"You know, there's a creature which signifies my soul. It's a lion, essentially a cat. I call it Natsu."

He did NOT like where this was going.

"I'm betting you've seen the same thing in your life. Take it as a message from the universe that you don't try to resign again."

In his absolute panic, Tsuna threw the mirror against the wall. The mirror did not break, but he felt his sanity snap.

The next morning, the people on his path ignored him as usual, making him feel more devastated than usual as his walk to school was more nervous than ever before with his knees shaking in rhythm with his hands clasped together in a prayer.

* * *

Yamamoto was anything but blind. Hibari might not realize the effect he had on people, but he sure did. Hibari understood that something was wrong if an incident took place, but he knew that an incident would take place.

Hibari was a busy guy, he could reason, so it made sense that he didn't have the time to observe things; even though he wouldn't let things go by passively... Though this was necessary to prevent crimes or atrocities.

Let it also be known that Namimori was a small town. So everyone knew everyone and news spread like wildfire. So if Hibari goes out of his way to give really harsh punishments to a group enough to make them transfer and mark a grave under his personal protection, clean alleys and add even more surveillance over the town for a boy... Namimori understands that, that boy is special, as in he's a part of the very pride Hibari protects. Right now, the parts contain Namimori and one Sawada Tsunayoshi.

So the people in the town have made it a point, not to harm the brunette in any way.

Which would be a good thing... except for one thing.

Hibari's wrath is that of a war god's. There has been many a testimony that can prove that, enough to make the people quake in their boots. So they've become fearful of Tsuna and his ability to summon that wrathful Hibari.

But when Yamamoto understands the reason behind something, he doesn't charge in to solve the problem immediately like Hibari does. He waits and observes to find the best timing because situations can get frightening or worse if you act rashly.

He sees people going from straight up avoiding a person to denying their very existence and he feels sick to his very stomach and not even his dad's prized sushi can keep itself in him. He assumes that the situation has led up to that point, because of a mixture of people fearing Hibari as well as because of the contempt they have for Tsuna.

He wanted to approach Tsuna, but the boy has been so strung up since last month that he was afraid that establishing contact would just lead to a total breakdown, alerting Hibari which would end up feeding the cycle, making the problem worse.

Although he managed to see the boy in tears from the incident, he became afraid to talk to him because the brunette had such heartbreaking cries that he didn't want to go there just to cry with him and solve nothing. It may have been stupid, but he'd rather like a smile in Tsuna's face. He was sure it would be amazing.

But then today, he saw the boy teetering with a look of absolute misery and before he could stop himself, he walked to him and said.

"Hey, Tsuna. Are you alright? Need any help?"

And the flood dams broke; Tsuna's eyes widened when they looked at him, his lips quivered, and he dropped to his needs and cried against his legs.

Yamamoto didn't know what to do, and he went into a panic asking all sorts of questions. But through it all, an expression began to fit into his face.

When he looked at Tsuna, who after crying his heart out, gave him a small sincere smile... he became determined and fixed a conviction.

He'll be the one to protect Tsuna.

* * *

**Preview:**

He wanted a sense of relief, of confidence that he wouldn't be in deep trouble in the long haul. So all there was left, was to prove that his delusion was wrong and his life wasn't terrible.

So he'd start by proving that Momokyokai did not exist.

Extra Notes:

*Flower vases on an empty desk are placed to honor a person after they died in some way. It's a practice commonly done in Japan, at least that's what anime tells me. It's also a horrible way of bullying someone.


	5. You're better off not knowing anything

**Chapter 5**

**You're better off not knowing anything**

If Tsuna knew that if he poked his nose into unnecessary things, he would end up in a cart with another kid... he would savor his last days to its fullest extent... and kickstart another plan which went 'People who care about me? F*ck them. Imma die pronto.'

But NO!

He just HAD to be the one who's in control of his life.

Let's backtrack a bit and consolidate what happened.

1\. Namimori decided to have a school trip coinciding with what was usually summer vacation.

2\. The Yamamotos had decided to go on a family trip to catch up, on summer vacation.

3\. Tsuna didn't want to impose on them and be a prick, regardless of what they told him.

4\. Hibari Kyoya was finally given enough power to handle the Hibari affairs- which extended globally. So he had trips to go make connections (basically give more power to a demon lord. Why did anyone think this was a good idea again?)

5\. Tsuna didn't want to go to the school trip if he was going to be ignored. There was no difference whether he went or stayed. But his mother was going to get worried, so he needed an excuse.

6\. His brain thought that verifying if nonsense was possible was a good idea... because he did NOT want his life to be controlled by someone else. Clearly, this whole friends thing made him too arrogant for his good.

* * *

He originally thought that having Yamamoto for a friend would either bring back the whole 'friend' ordeal or something like Natsu back to his life.

But he had been wrong because it became clear that it was just him being DENSE and overly PARANOID.

You see, Tsuna always got into a persecutor-victim relationship because it was one relation which came easily to him, but something he had to manipulate so that he could maintain a sense of normalcy. He was used to thinking 'Poor me' and 'What did I do to deserve this?' that when this relation started changing, he had used what his delusion told him to keep the relation going.

Because, with age, people matured and end up feeling like they're above bullying and sometimes get humbled by life.

He learned to manipulate his persecutors into wanting power. It was because of two things: life gets harder and you realize that you weren't the center of your universe. It was true if you lived with people who exerted self-confidence strongly.

Namimori was a place with extraordinary people, regardless of how small it was. Tsuna understood that. He observed people because he was weak and he needed to understand people to avoid them when they got aggressive. So he knew people and their habits as a side effect.

Yamamoto was really good at sidetracking people and talking about the most irrelevant things since they did not stress people and could get them to open up to you and make them like you- because it gave the feeling that you cared.

It also was a big well of information and could give you things to keep in mind- their preferences, ideals, beliefs, fears, weaknesses... you understand the deal, right? But Yamamoto was built on good intentions, so he used the information to make people into sheep... in his case, people who believed in what he believed, like a messiah if you think extremely (and religiously) and like a politician if you think skeptically. The point was- he was charismatic.

So he did amazing things regarding Tsuna's case. The little jokes he'd cracked, the nudges and teases made Tsuna seem less like a loser, but more like a bashful kid. He remembered hearing the neighborhood ladies coo when he fell. They still giggled behind his back, but it was less nefarious than it was before.

It was a very confusing appearance making him feel like a pink elephant in a room. He simply did not fit there. Yamamoto was going full force into whatever mission he took up, and the results were scary. The boy was very active for months after their new friendship, making him more renown and more the resident celebrity of Namimori. He did it by making a name for himself in Kendo, a sport his dad encouraged from when he was a kid and something he now took very seriously.

He did not know when the transition came about, but it was a very dizzying concept that he could have been the one to push him that way, drunk on power. It was the very effect that idols had on their believers, their fans that seemed like it could affect him, and very deeply at that.

Perceptions were a scary thing.

And the only thing which grounded him and lightly neutralized the Yamamoto-effect (dubbed by Tsuna) was the influence of Hibari Kyoya. His relation with the prefect was complicated according to him, and was getting even more complex. He could explain it, but it was a strange observation and required shaky logic which pointed at a conjecture which was, sadly the most plausible one.

Anyone who really knew Hibari or anyone who could think past the observation that he was a scary person would know this- Hibari wasn't a direct person and had a twisted mind, which was a bit ironic since he sought direct confrontation and preferred simple truths and beliefs. He was a person of logic but acted so irrationally. He was a walking book of contradictions... but then again who isn't?

Anyway, his basic principle and core foundation were very solid and gave him a firm conviction, making him very intimidating. These were things he knew about the other from when they were really small kids. But he didn't ever try thinking it from another perspective, because he had been obsessed with the status quo.

* * *

Hibari was a silent person but demanded what he wanted. He got anything and everything he wanted. So, Tsuna's ideals were rearranged as Hibari demanded it. It was a realization which struck him when he became Yamamoto's friend.

It also made him frustrated at being orchestrated to fit a puzzle, a puppet on a string. The only fact he could use to comfort himself was that Yamamoto was also in the same position as he was... albeit a little bit unexpected, but a fitting piece to set everything into place.

The cogs in his head turned a little while after he cried his soul onto Yamamoto. The other made it his new routine to stick to him like glue and talk about anything and everything, asking all sorts of questions to keep him into the conversation and thus made him feel relevant by paying extra attention to whatever he said. He had felt like basking in as so much attention that he could compare to how roasted a cocoa bean would feel like when it roasted under the sun (irrelevant note: the reason for the strange analogy was that the author likes chocolate)

It was because he did a lot of strange, disturbing things when he had felt distraught... but no one caught him. If his classmates or teachers could ignore him out of fear, why did the committee keep quiet? He could have sworn with how nervous he looked, Kusakabe, the direct superior under Hibari, could have pulled him aside for drug possession or consumption. And they had met each other a lot during that time.

The turning wheels also told him that he had not paid too much attention though, since, apparently they, as in Yamamoto and he, had a closer relationship than he thought they did, for a month or two- since the other could pick up on his thoughts and made a kind of appointment with Kusakabe.

It seemed that they went way back to maybe, the time of the supplementary and that he was just too preoccupied with the entire manipulation business to know that he was in fact friends with the lad, when he remembered distinctly thinking that the other was up to no good when he hollered out to him or offered invitations and casual conversation topics.

Yamamoto had an impeccable timing to show him new tricks he picked up in Kendo, which he showed with a dummy at the club- holding the sword backward and spinning it forward to create a kind of shield. He called it 'Shinotsuku... ame?'

And when they were coming back, they saw Kusakabe, seemingly at the end of his rounds... another well-timed coincidence...

He called out to him, his nefarious mind unable to stop its curiosity.

"Kusakabe-san, if you just have a minute to spare."

The teen always looked so confused when he put on a polite front. Honestly, it was just that one time. Why couldn't people drop it?!

He turned to the brunette and said.

"Sure, follow me" and lead them straight to the dc clubroom, as if they had something important to say. Why did they get this VIP treatment anyway...? In a way, since Natsu's death, it was like his life turned itself on its head... sometimes making him feel that it was he who died instead. Was his view on reality distorted?

The teen made tea from the other room (the other clubs had no chance in getting the room for their usage. They were against Hibari after all) and poured the contents of the kettle into the table and sitting in the sofa opposite to theirs.

Tsuna feeling nervous from the atmosphere of the room, commented nervously.

"I thought Hibari-san would get a Japanese style tea room." and chuckled awkwardly.

Kusakabe's eyes widened into saucers and before Tsuna could take back his statement, realizing the mistake he made.

A tiny yellow bird chirped.

"Hibari. Hibari. Japanese tea room." and chirped it over and over again flying towards the window, presumedly to the prefect himself.

The yellow bird, coined Hibird by Tsuna (it was an accident he could swear!)

The reason why that bird was reporting his suggestion, goes back to the time when he was being suffocated with silence.

His situation was getting worse when every place his absent-mindedness brought him to a location Hibari napped in. What was worse, was that he could slightly understand that it was his relation with Hibari that was bringing up unrest and this only deepened the misunderstanding that they were on close terms.

But he had a knack in showing up exactly where Hibari went like some kind of weird mechanism got triggered accidentally, and people started associating him being there with Hibari being there. Once, Hibari was awake and staring at him very intensely and he could sympathize with those POOR SOULS. The pressure got to him and he said the very first thing which came to his mind when he saw a yellow bird (which looked like the yellow bird which sometimes showed up with his delusion) on Hibari's finger, a sight relatively common (the prefect had an affinity with small creatures, surprisingly) and said.

"You know, you could train those birds to gather information stealthily." and HIBARI looked at him with a look that roughly translated

'You gave me something I can use to protect my beloved town and made me use my available resources more productively' and smiled at him. It was so different from his bloodthirsty grin, it was a SHARK-EATING grin and he did not know what was better and the prefect jumped from his perch and went to seemingly plot the plan in detail.

And Tsuna chose to forget the entire incident and remove its very existence and its implications from his mind.

Unfortunately, everything he did just have to rub its face right into him! Kusakabe came to him in a relatively chip mood and patted him in front of a crowd of people, who looked mildly horrified with presumptions.

"Thanks Tsuna-san, you're going to reduce our surveillance time so we can actively prosecute people faster."

And then they gave him a look like he was a spawn of Satan and it was a look he so easily recognized, seeing it when they looked at Hibari, or when his delusion looked at his mentor, Reborn.

He had never thought a day would come when he was considered a Hibari equivalent.

* * *

Kusakabe looked like he would face-palm, but then smiled a stiff smile at him and asked him something else instead.

"You said that you wanted to ask me something?"

"Actually, this might be something strange, but did you and Hibari try something with my situation" he asked, thinking that he'd excuse himself the moment the other asked him to elaborate on it.

The right hand of Hibari looked apologetically at him and said,

"So you picked up on it. I've expected nothing else from you. I just hoped that it would be later... I wasn't finished preparing myself"

He straightened up and looked at them-

"When Kyo-san came back to the DC office without his gakuran, I went to the places he patrolled before to check for why on earth would he return without it. The coat was one of his symbols of pride after all" Looking at the other two nod, he continued, getting to the main point.

"It seemed that Kyo-san understood the question I wanted to ask him when I looked at the coat placed on the grave, rather intentionally and he ordered me to clean the alleys, remove the barrel and do the other things I'm sure you've heard of.

I mentioned that the people would realize the fact that Hibari considered you an important friend if we did that immediately."

At that point, Tsuna looked in disbelief at the other. Kusakabe smiled wryly.

"You can't deny the fact that Kyo-san and you were involved a little too deep, especially with that case. Kyo-san doesn't tell people things regarding relationships. Maybe he considers them too obvious to tell people explicitly. But what you did made the case complicated enough to pique his interest... especially with the way you manipulated other people to do parts of the case, especially with the track record you've set." he looked meaningfully at the brunette who combed his hands through his hair in mild irritation.

Yamamoto piped up at that point.

"Hey, I willingly participated in that one."

"You can't deny that it was because of his rather spectacular second impression that led to that."

then Yamamoto looked disapprovingly but mostly hurt at Tsuna.

"I can't deny that. But Tsuna, quit it with that hobby. I'd do anything for you, but helping your friend out with suicide is a really hard pill to swallow." to which the brunette smiled a bit sheepishly, unwilling to give any promises.

Yamamoto sighed and redirected the conversation.

"So what did Hibari do in the end anyway? How did get to that messy situation if you opposed to that frankly stupid plan."

It was Kusakabe's turn to look sheepish and turned towards Tsuna.

"Kyo-san said that, that was the reason why he was suggesting it. It was a plan that started in his mind when he saw the dead body of that cat.

He said it was the first time you looked affected with that cycle you've weaved around yourself. He used to grumble a lot with the previous lots that you've manipulated into being your bullies. He used to mutter about stupid herbivores getting power crazy from looking at how easily you'd become a gopher, paying a lot of attention to them centering your world around them. He hated how you'd show blatant fear and relief with every action they made. They fed their egos and made Namimori unhealthy, he'd claim.

But I think Kyo-san was just upset that he couldn't help you.

That night he looked like he reached an epiphany and he told me that the DC committee was to not lay a hand on you and give you no warnings. It was shocking. He told them to look the other way and told me to see it through that no one disobeyed. But the guys at the committee knew from where he came from, so I didn't have a lot of trouble at all."

"But why?"

"Because you were in a destructive relationship and you were addicted to that. Kyo-san saw that the only way out was from that small gap of weakness in that cycle you'd created; When your cat died, you'd looked devastated, like you'd never want to experience that again. You were learning positively from pain. And Kyo-san wanted to reinforce that, so he orchestrated that mess.

We didn't expect Yamamoto-san to try to talk to you, we expected the opposite, seeing that you'd left the same impact on him, just like you've done on us.

But now that I've got new information, I see that it would not have worked.

Kyo-san is hard on the people he likes and he doesn't allow them to fall back into a worse fate if they look at any kind of sign of hope. So you must forgive him for those bad memories." he looked a bit pleadingly at the brunette making him feel shocked that he had people who wanted to keep a bond with HIM of all people.

and he nodded dumbly, feeling overwhelmed at the new information.

* * *

Coming back to a few weeks ago.

Since he was basically left to his own devices, after lying to his mother that he'd also gone to the school trip. Left to his own devices, as in he was stealthily snooping around Namimori, having applied a lot of gel to strip his hair back so that he wouldn't be recognized in one go (at least), wearing dummy glasses as an extra layer to hide himself.

He walked around in a beige white t-shirt and plain gray slacks so that he basically merged with the colors of most of the buildings in Namimori as he searched around the abandoned or empty buildings in Namimori.

If that delusion was right, which would be the surprise of the century seeing how tight, the jurisdiction of Namimori was... then it would open the possibility that Tsuna could indeed be the successor of a Mafia family, because it meant that parallel worlds could be possible and the nature of such worlds was convergent and hinted at a singularity.

It was a strong argument of such open-ended topics that Tsuna was determined to put a stop to.

After days of skulking around, his mind was getting unwinded and he felt like his fears were unfounded.

But then his eyes wandered towards a spark near the sides of a simple building. It was from a tiny gold plate with a tag of a supposed store, a bar... his mind supplied, remembering the drunken ramblings of his delusion.

But a drinking bar in Namimori? That was strange... alcohol in this squeaky clean town? Maybe the adults needed a drink to get away from the stress of daily life (something Hibari would scoff at)

But Tsuna was too much of a midget to pass off as an adult. So he needed at least the clothes to pass off as a small adult, cursed by his bad luck that his growth spurt did not hit him. (He was not predicting his future!)

He could manage it, the clothes made the man after all.

There was something else he needed to consider. The license of an adult- a driving license, say.

But it wasn't too much of a big deal. He wasn't above using someone else's weakness anyway. He could use the Hibari's famous uniformity against them. They were obsessed with order, which was something he could use to make the plan work.

You see... the Hibaris loved order so much that they had implemented it such that the license cards were of a specific design if they were to be used in Namimori. It was obsessive, but it meant that the school id card was a type of license card, if you'd look at it from a different angle. It meant that if Tsuna confidently showed a glimpse of his card hiding the detail mentioning his school, he could pass off as a small adult who was used to having people mistaken him for a child all the time.

So he wore a small jacket, he borrowed from his parent's wardrobe after sneaking in from the tree and entered the bar, through its heavy doors ordering for a gin, remembering his dad's conversations when he sat drunk on the sofa and swept his eyes around the place.

It was dark, with the lights from the bar lighting up the place making it look rather cool.

There were lamps near the tables where a few customers chatted filling the place with the occasional laughter. It was cozy and quiet with very few people filling up the place.

The heavy doors that guarded the place which seemed like a hideout from the outside world made him paranoid in thinking that maybe the Mafia had connections here. The drink which was placed next to him seemed like it was going to spike him and the threat of Hibari persecuting him for consuming alcohol despite being a minor stopped him from even bringing it close to his mouth.

He took the drink after paying it in cash, the money coming from paying it from his supposed 'school trip' not wanting a trace of his activities from something like a card (he'd have to get it from his mother. It would make him feel like a thief and he was feeling guilty enough doing this) He thought absentmindedly.

'Bars are so damn expensive. But it's not like I can ask the bartender for water, despite it guaranteed to be the cheapest. I don't want another person being influenced by my 'charms' as Yamamoto puts it' He could almost imagine the looks of disdain if he'd ask that. His eyes swept over a certain figure of similar stature and he did something worthy of his moniker.

"Lambo?" he blurted out, connecting the figure to the one that showed up with his delusion.

Dame-Tsuna indeed.

* * *

The boy did not look surprised. He instead made him surprised by yanking him down to the seat adjacent to his with surprising strength despite looking younger than he did. But then again, he was a pushover.

The boy who looked like he went to elementary grade and seemed younger to him by 2 years or so, showed him a lazy grin and said,

"So you're the guy that was sent to pick me up? They sure make them younger and younger in this industry."

'Speak for yourself!'

What did he mean by industry?!

"So what are you doing with that drink? It ain't spiked and you seem too straight-laced to drink it. I'm not going to drink it. Stranger danger and all."

He'd gotta play along.

"Leave it. I wanted to see if you were going to show up. I got intel, but I wasn't sure if the information was true" the kid seemed to be into a shady industry if he was here in the first place. Despite seeming casual, he seemed not to trust him. So his reply seemed appropriate

"Ooh, a cautious one. The Bovino famiglia keeps its word. You didn't have to doubt us."

Famiglia? Was he dealing with the mafia...? his body shivered in involuntary fear. He was in dangerous territory. If he didn't have relation with the mafia before, he would have now if he pursued this deeper.

The only reason why he associated that word with the underworld was because his dad had a strange fetish for those kinds of movies, apparently convinced that it was pure comedy gold.

It was also because one time, he was researching on drug overdose and ended up finding terms of the drug trade and the yakuza and the mafia being involved. He had dug deep into the issue, eventually scraping the possibility as it was bound to get Hibari's attention if he tried to get it from somewhere other than Namimori and getting them from inside Namimori was plain impossible. There was a Chinese tunic wearing man who wore sunglasses, his face mostly covered and he was suspicious enough to look like he dealt drugs, but Hibari loathed him and if you'd interact with him, the prefect would most likely have an excuse to prey on you.

"So let's go. What's first on your agenda? I want you to help me and in turn, I'll help you. Is that a deal?" his curiosity was overtaking his conversations, the knowledge his delusion provided him fueling it.

The Bovino looked at his gin. He trashed it in a nearby plant, wincing internally at the guilt of feeding alcohol to a living being and berating himself for reacting so pathetically.

"I need to be sober to start planning. We don't have the time to mess around."

The boy smiled at him.

"They sent a good one. You understand that the issue has to be dealt swiftly."

He shuddered again.

'I hope it doesn't deal with dead bodies.' and for the first time in his life, he wished Hibari was around to help him coincidentally.

'This might not even have anything with the Mafia and he might get off easily with a misunderstanding that would teach him not to assume things and be so judgemental.'

When they reached outside, he noticed that the boy liked to stay at the corners of the road, so he mimicked him and led him to a corner, he knew was actually open, since the fence showing the dead end was basically broken, when he had rammed against it when his 'friend' pushed him. He had dislocated his shoulder, but now the price for that was an escape route if things got sour.

"How about a deal? If you help me out, I'll give full cooperation with what you want."

He knew he was playing with fire. The boy was younger than him, but if he had experience with the underworld and showed up here, he might have a connection to this 'yakuza' at Namimori. If he didn't, they could search with some experience. If he was an ordinary citizen, he could just play along and say that he was intimidating him so that the child wouldn't visit shady places like that-

ever again.

* * *

More than that, there was a thrill that he could get shot to be silenced, if his impudence got on the wrong side of this kid, after all... a gunshot was the fastest way to die and had a success rate of 99%.

His body would get hidden and most probably, Hibari would find it. His mom would cry at the injustice of society's underworld and live on the right side of law forever. Her useless child would die, and he'd have no more troubles and his pain in the ass life would finally be over.

It was a win-win situation.

The child looked like he expected this and replied.

"So? What do you want?"

"Information. Where's the Momokyokai yakuza?"

The boy relaxed slightly and said,

"In the end, it's for our request? Man, you guys are workaholics. It's like all the gossip regarding the Japanese were true. We wouldn't even judge you for not getting that information. The Hibari's are good at protecting Namimori to a certain extent after all."

He motioned him to come along. Tsuna could have stumbled from the lightheadedness he got by the confirmation that there was Yakuza in NAMIMORI. Unfortunately, he could not afford to show how surprised he was from the reaction- his morbid mind would not allow him to.

Tsuna struggled to ask the question on how did they manage to hide from Hibari in the first place. The route the boy traveled lead to less traveled areas in the town.

Namimori, although small... had a really complex road system, so it was hard to cover everything. There were gray undeveloped areas which the DC committee never patrolled, because it was pointless since any noticeable offenses were in other locations and it would make Namimori less safe than it looked like. It was also because the forest that surrounded Namimori shadowed these areas. It was easy to get lost in them and the area had a magnetic disturbance that made the compass turn mad and all four sides from a point in the shrouded area looked the same, making it a maze. People weren't allowed there and Hibari made sure people didn't try going there.

When the smaller boy traveled through a particularly shady area where people who looked like they hadn't shaved for days glared their bloodshot eyes which looked like they hadn't slept a wink at him, he felt like shrinking. There was a nauseating smell mixed in the air, a small part of it smelled like how his room did when he cut.

The rest smelled like urine and sweat. It seemed like the more fortunate of them could live in a cupboard.

The Bovino's voice cut his thoughts.

"You know, you didn't have to try to save your pride. The Italian mafia are pro at hiding things. I mean Iemitsu's son lives here."

His heart stopped beating then, he whispered forcing his sluggish feet onwards to keep up with the boy who seemed to be casually ripping his life apart.

* * *

"Sawada Iemitsu?" 'My dad?'

The other swiveled and turned around to roll his eyes as if he'd said something dumb and it seemed like everything was going to be all right.

"Overly careful idiots. Yeah, Sawada Iemitsu, CEDEF head, the young lion and the most powerful aide to the Vongola famiglia. Happy now?"

And he stopped, he wanted a breath, but his lungs were having difficulty taking in anything like it was mimicking his brain. His eyes widened like saucers as the other narrowed his eyes on him.

"Hey. What's going on-" and his brain told him only one thing.

RUN.

And he dashed forward and away from the curly haired kid with a fetish for cow patterned clothes. He didn't know where he was going and what was he going to do from here now that he had messed up bad and let the mafia know that a civilian(?) got important information and good lord he had his student ID and his mom was going to get into trouble because he was a dumb f*ck.

'Dame-Tsuna! Stupid Dame-Tsuna!' his mind cursed as tears formed in his eyes as fear took over and he threw his ID card at a flame nearby keeping a homeless man warm, feeding its flames earning a shout of thank you his direction giving away his location. He cursed under his breath as he leaped over a fence falling down clumsily but using his palms to force him back on the run, hating the fact that his clumsiness was coming back to bite him on the ass hard...

Images of Yamamoto's smiling face and Hibari's small satisfied smile filled his mind as his panic made him tumble around and smash into all kinds of obstacles. One of those obstacles set a chain reaction which set of a fire which seemed to grow bigger and bigger making him jump and roll onto it, fearing a wildfire that could harm the homeless people, his mind working on instinct. It instantly melted his jacket, and an uncomfortable feeling made it's way to his back and he moved away.

His face came face to face with the sole remainder of the flame and he panicked, his body jerking away in self-preservation.

His mind replayed its argument that if someone would catch him, they'd try to extract information by identifying who he was and endanger the people dear to him. So his irrational mind took a flammable piece and fed that fire, its reflection flickering across his pupils.

He took a dirty cloth which smelled horrible and rolled it into a ball and stuffed it in his mouth, tearing up from the intense smell and horrible taste. He then forced his trembling fingers right into the flame hoping that it'd burn enough of his skin to remove his fingerprints.

His body immediately wanted to jerk back and run and his jaw clenched up around the clock and his screams were muffled as he bit strong enough to draw blood. His teeth hurt and stung and saliva pooled and soaked the cloth and he hated the taste and he felt like he was being silenced, his mind rebelling against the lack of freedom.

His fingers were itching and it felt like the time his classmate inserted needles in his hand. But he felt like only this time those needles were going in deeper and deeper and everything felt so hot and his body's instant reaction was to pull back immediately. His arms felt painful from forcing it to stay still and his hands were stinging painfully. It was like inserting nails into an open wound, like the pink of a clot wound were removed and it was shoved into the red blood and being circled around by a sadistic person.

Finally, he fell back and he sobbed as he clung on his burning hand as he rolled around in agony as his mind berated him to get on with it. So he grabbed on to his bag whimpering as his sensitive red skin with protruding peels grabbed onto the leather texture of the strap which made an impact on all the extrusions and the underlying muscles which were still spilling blood, soaking the strap. Then as if on fire (oh the irony) he threw it into his bonfire and extinguished it with the only thing his brain supplied, his hands and immediately regretted it. His knee-jerk reaction was to kick it to the ground and stamp all over it with his thankfully, sturdy boots which were made out of heat insulators and stopped it. His eyes then proceeded to thank him for the further pain by bawling on him until his face turned red around his eyes.

'Great sign to show weak enemy! Easy interrogation target' So he tried another tactic, slap himself hard enough to show that he was red everywhere, from overexertion. It was a cringe-worthy solution seeing that he had to use those hands of his to do it.

So he puffed up and hit his face and his hands hurt than his face did, but he repeated it ignoring how his hands singed and blood rubbed on his face opening up wounds the fire ironically sealed because it literally melted the remaining skin over it. It felt unbearable with how his hands cracked open like as if he was purely meat and he thought he couldn't look at beef the same way ever again without envisioning how his hands felt like. It was like it was being sliced open with the juices spilling out and the feelings of layers being penetrated through as the knife cut through it. It felt like there was something solid being hurt when he brought his hands to his face.

And he felt nauseous to think that that could have been his bone. Never had he felt so close to Natsu or so close to feeling that he was more likely destined to see nothing at all and remember nothing at all with no heaven or hell waiting for him with him forgetting all that he knows now, only to reunite with world and having no knowledge that he did become a part of an ecosystem.

His mind started working then and it supplied him with a memory that the delusion said when he had first argued that no Namimori would have yakuza. 'He' looked irritated at being laughed at for stating the fact and had shown him what the building looked like.

And the one he was under was the exact replica of the one he had seen.

And it felt like a bucket of cold water was spilled at him and felt his sweat cling at him as the only reminder that it was in fact, hot fire that had been his company was the stinging feeling on his bloody hands which felt more like he had put hooks through his skin and into his flesh and that he had been pulling it and making his nervous system pull along the hook till his brain and traveling inside his foreskin.

His paralyzed body jerked as he heard a source of noise as he saw the Bovino kid coming towards him and his mind still frozen with fear and his heart turning absolutely cold at the fact that this kid, younger than him with sparkling eyes and all his shocking reveals would end up like him dead and murdered brutally.

And he remembered the Yakuza had a hobby of cutting the thumbs of betrayers which they would associate with the poor kid, just because Dame-Tsuna was too curious for his own good. It was obvious that the Bovino had a relation with the Yakuza or they wouldn't know the exact directions to their hideout. But the Yakuza wouldn't believe that the representative of the Bovino would get tricked by the dumbest kid in Namimori, and they would know the rumors since their hideout was here. So he screamed out.

"Why are you here?! Do you want to get killed?!"

His eyes were wide in panic while he held his hands in an awkward pose like a T-rex.

But the smart little boy put two and two together looking at his ragged appearance, the gel holding his hair evaporated in the flame or removed by friction and let his guard down as he moved closer, eyebrows put together in light worry.

"We're doomed either way. Take a look around Tsuna-nii"

and he finally took in his surroundings as the environmental noise faded and his hands stinging at him being reduced a minor disturbance as he saw that men in arms surrounded them and he sobbed broken hearted.

He was so damn hopeless that he couldn't do anything else but kill people around him because of the sh*t he did.

He was pulled up to face the situation by the hair as someone inspected them closely like some kind of goods, he felt the other kid sitting nonchalantly behind him. They sickened him to no end. Why would I want to be a part of these guys he thought blinking away tears of frustration.

The grunt looked at his boss as he said.

"Boss. It's Sawada Tsunayoshi. He has that spiky hair and fits the over description."

He didn't understand how did they identify him so easily when he tried so hard not to give anything away.

The kid behind him knew the answer as he whispered to him.

"It's because the brass of the groups that have a bond with Vongola have a knowledge of those who are potential candidates of the Vongola. You're one, even if yer dead last there in the list. The Momokyokai have a role and are a trading partner with the Vongola. The Bovino is a source for the newest technology and supply weapons to the mafia, so we're close with them too.

But I'm replaceable, so my famiglia wouldn't care."

If I died wouldn't my dad know then? Why would they try something with me?!

And the boy continued as if he was psychic.

"Well, you brought your own demise.

Who told you to go to a bar. They could just say that a bad adult spiked your drink and murdered you over money. And no one would know otherwise... because you were known in the reports to be a coward and weren't supposed to be curious enough to try to find a truth or two.

You'd be documented as a kid who felt too strung up by the pressures of bullying and tried to visit a bar after going corrupt and rebellious.

Your dad would want to take a detailed investigation, given how famous you've become with the brass with how much Iemitsu gushes on and on about you.

But he can't otherwise Vongola would get rid of him. Hibari Kyoya had been planning the trip in detail. With the connections he'd forge, the Hibari clan will finally rise from one of the threats to the Vongola to the main threat to the famiglia. That guy's a genius after all."

The situation was a bit ironic with how Hibari always intended the best for Namimori and Tsuna but ended potentially ruining the brunette's chances for the truth behind the incident to unravel for justice to be served.

Bovino looked sadly at him;

"They're wrong, but I can't change the report, 'cos we're going to die"

'How was that kid right?! He was a damn coward! This was all to find a way to reassure him! If he had let life run its course, he'd die in his 30-40s, but he HAD to mess this up SO bad that he got a kid involved. That kid would have a longer life if he hadn't MET him! Why was he such a f*ck up?! Now his mom is going to be so disappointed to have such an idiot for a son.'

His shoulders tensed in frustration as tears threatened to spill any moment.

The grunt continued his assessment-

"The kid next to him is Bovino Lambo. The Bovino famiglia wanted to see if our operations were indeed transparent and we gave proper profits" they sniggered at how ridiculous the idea was, when the situation was obvious.

"Not like a brat could change anything. Boss, they're young and the slum's children have been packed away. Should we send them to the red light district? There's no end to perverts there. We could make a pretty penny."

Tsuna could feel his shoulder shivering, but he could also feel the slight shiver from the little boy who acted braver than he ever did. Feeling guilty from dragging the other into the situation, he grasped the boy's hand and gave it a slight squeeze of reassurance, wincing in pain at the recoil.

The other's shaking stopped and he hoped it wasn't from being creeped out from damaged hands.

The boss looked in the other's direction and dismissed the idea easily with another which brought chills to his bones

"He's a boss candidate of Vongola right? If we gave him to Estraneo telling that we recommended him to sponsor their programs then we'd be handsomely rewarded. If they refuse then they'd be used for the experiments. It's an Eco-friendly solution Hahahaha."

So Tsuna was changed from the rags his clothes became wincing in pain when the sleeves passed through his hands and bit his lips until blood dripped to stop howling in pain when they made his wear gloves to hide the wounds.

Lambo was also changed and they were both tied into a box to ship them to Italy. Namimori did not check the contents of boxes in ships, just passed them through metal detectors for weapons so it was the best way of human trafficking.

* * *

It came back to the beginning of the chapter.

Tsuna looked at Lambo in absolute despair with the constant stinging of his hand with blood seeping through the glove making him very uncomfortable.

Lambo snorted at his displeasure.

"If you weren't prepared for the consequences of burning your fingerprints you shouldn't have done it. Baka-Tsuna-nii."

"Drop it, Bovino-san."

"Then drop the formality. I'm younger than you."

"...Then Lambo. Happy? Then drop the burning hands."

"Your such a softie, Tsuna-nii." the childish smile Lambo gave made him look his age for once and Tsuna looked at the future with despair, wondering what his delusion would tell him.

Back at his room,

The mirror fell with no apparent force and shattered. It was like an ominous foreboding.

* * *

**Preview**

The slums had people who looted, maimed and ate people like him for breakfast... but he'd much rather sleep there than sleep at the guest quarters at the facility which was a living embodiment of a torture chamber.

The screams there haunted him.


	6. Welcome to the family

**Chapter 6**

**Welcome to the family**

As it turned out, being a lab specimen wasn't set out for him because he was as useless here as he was at Namimori. He couldn't handle extreme pain because god-dammit he was a civilian. Also, he had a tendency to pass out and generally not respond to tests judging by how rarely he got out of his cage lately. Dame-Tsuna indeed. I mean how can you mess up so badly that the underworld doesn't need you?!

He had bad stamina, so he couldn't keep up with the experiments. He passed out at the first instance of arduous pain. His shriek had brought out emotion (irritation) from the scientists whose job description most probably warned them from crying, begging and screaming nonsense from their 'patients' (good lord! These guys were doctors of Italy?!)

There's a disconnect in the story isn't there? Well, let's get back to what happened

Sawada Tsunayoshi was a young child who was accidentally smuggled to Italy because the Yakuza at Japan thought that he had a connection with the Bovino child, Bovino Lambo. It was a funny story which spelled bad news to the brunette

What happened was that they were going to be picked up at the site from a representative of the Estraneo famiglia. The lowering of the crates at a shady place took place with no or little commotion since this kind of human trafficking was common with the mafia.

'Heavens forbid Hibari figuring out this kind of stuff happen at Namimori' Tsuna thought forlornly with his arms tied behind. The brunette was tired with a case of rough jetlag from the long hours of traveling by ship.

He looked at Lambo who looked green with seasickness.

'I guess he didn't come to Namimori inside the cargo from a ship' and looked at the child with the awe at the genius of somehow thwarting Hibari's system to smuggle himself to the town.

He bit his lips in worry as he looked at the man who seemed to be counting the children sitting in a circle around him. He seemed to be inspecting them, like how retailers inspect the quality of their shipped products.

"Lambo... I don't think I'm going to like what this guy has in store for us. Do you feel even a little better now?

I know that the rocking of the ship made you feel sick... and we had nothing to eat for 4 days now. Not to mention the smell of the sea made you puke everything you ate at the bar."

He remembered peaking out of the carton from the slit at the top of the box and the feeling of dread of the precariously stacked boxes falling on them, maybe breaking the box and injuring them badly.

"Sorry for getting it on your shirt, Tsuna-nii."

"Don't worry about that, Lambo. I'm pretty sure it smells like sea water now."

"Add in the dust, then it's true."

* * *

They had chattered in the silence for the first day, telling the other about themselves. Lambo was cringing at the stories Tsuna told and he got the hint and stopped it. But the child also had cringe-worthy stories (they were in fear and absolute shock and maybe disgust, in his case) which he told the other, not even sparing the details. The child was also oblivious, so he heard about gruesome mafia missions for the span of a tv series marathon.

The second day was quieter and maybe tense, as Lambo filled in details of the Estraneo famiglia, like how it was an independent famiglia which got it's the test subjects from the traitors of other famiglias. The family thrived on human trafficking and was a black market for slaves and human weapons. He didn't want to hear the details though, so he didn't ask questions. Lambo seemed like he didn't want to talk about them either.

"The Bovino is a regular client of theirs." he spat out.

"But I hate their guts."

They were silent for a long time. Lambo then nudged at Tsuna.

"Tsuna-nii... I have something to tell you...

I wasn't supposed to be at Namimori. I coaxed the information from a friend of mine. He's older than me... and he was supposed to test you."

"Test me? But I'm not directly related to the Mafia until my dad does something."

"Actually... There has been speculation for a long time that Xanxus, an adopted son of Vongola Nono, is planning on usurping the throne.

The higher ups usually shrug it off as over-paranoia... but this time the Varia, the special assassination squad has been acting a bit strangely.

Vongola Nono said that there have been people around the route of the inheritance rings."

"From security cameras?"

"Those areas are special. They block any electronic signal. They can't be tampered with... It's like a purely analog area and it's riddled with security around it."

"So it's like a sacred treasure... it's known in myths and rumors but no proof of its existence is known."

"Yeah."

"How does Nono know?"

"That sounds funny nonono."

"Lambo, focus."

"Oh right. Ok.

It's the Vongola Hyper intuition, a trait which the Vongola boss, no matter how small in trait. The one most famous for it was the Primo.

Between you and me, Nono's a fanboy of Primo."

"Lambo..."

"Gosh. You're a killjoy. I've always wanted to try the old wives gossip thing- Ok ok, I'll get on with it. Don't give me that withering look.

You do want to know how it's connecting together, right?

Well, a lot of information about the inheritance has been circulating. It's hype. Not very obvious but it's more asked than usual.

Vongola thinks it's the Varia, given how ambitious Xanxus is. The guy doesn't have a shot as a boss, especially because he's like Secondo and Nono's an avid believer and follower of Primo. Not to mention, the guy's adopted and hard to control. Not a popular choice.

But he's powerful..."

"You're saying he can force himself to the throne."

"Yup, by murdering his sons."

"Can't they put protective forces around the candidates."

"Tsuna-nii... We're mafia. If we have to baby the boss candidate to make them the boss, they're going to die either way.

No one can subdue Xanxus with his high pride either. The only option would be to kill him. But he's got loyal followers and Nono wouldn't allow it."

"If the candidates become boss, then no one could steal it from them right?"

"The Varia are smart, that's why they can get away with the bullshit they pull. So they can assassinate the candidate with no suspicion other than pure gut feelings.

Then Xanxus would be the 11th head. If he can't be Decimo, he can choose the next best alternative.

Nono can't get any more kids, so if Xanxus ain't the head... nobody else would be."

"It's not like there is only one candidate right, how many can Xanxus kill?"

"...There are two of them left right now. There were four initially. We don't know where the two are right now."

"What?!"

"Yeah... So they want to see if they can mold you into a head. You see, you have the genes of primo. You're a part of the family tree."

"You're ridiculous. Primo would be my great-great-great something grandpa. Isn't it farfetched?"

"That's why you weren't in the official list. But in the unofficial candidates, you're the only one."

"I'm a civilian."

"And you're already involved with the mafia." the child said nudging at himself.

"Who told you all this anyway?!"

"The friend of mine. He was hired by an Arcobaleno, one of the seven strongest people in the world and filled in on the details."

Tsuna slammed his forehead into his knees, frustrated by the hopelessness of it all. Lambo looked sympathetically at him.

"Come to think of it... you're seriously smart for your age."

The child blushed at the compliment like he wasn't used to hearing that.

"It's Ahodera's fault. He spews all science-y nerd stuff. That... and from our famiglia's trade." he ended sourly.

The next two days were spent in silence since Tsuna was really hungry and tired, so he couldn't muster the energy to ask questions or think straight. Lambo was seasick and green the whole time. The child puked until there was nothing but his bile.

Looking at the sickly pallor and remembering what his delusions told about Estraneo, he came to a decision. This time, he wasn't going to regret it or doublethink it.

* * *

They were currently peaking out from the chest with the child leaning onto him, feeling too weak to stand on his own.

His eyes turned orange with determination and he lifted his elbow high and thrust it at the child's neck. It was a powerful and quick hit that made the child's eyes bulge with shock and he fell inside the cart with a thud.

This caught the attention of the representative who walked towards them. When the man came to a close enough proximity, he shrieked loud and startled the other out of a rational mind.

The man gruffly shouted,

"Shut up. Get into the circle over there with your partner."

"That kid died! Oh my lord! He died in the carton! And it's been really scary!" and he started repeating them over and over again, closing his body posture by physically shrinking into himself.

The man looked irritated and mumbled damn civilian and moved closer to the body. Seeing that the boy flinched when he touched the kid, he ordered irritatedly-

"Go join the others."

The brunette scampered to the others hastily and the man inspected the kid with an annoyed scowl, not thinking clearly.

Then he heard wails behind him. Huffing an annoyed sigh, thinking that he had a long day ahead of him he dismissed the child as dead since he was pale as a sheet, stunk and was curled in a fetal position. He couldn't check clearly as there was a disturbance behind him.

When Tsuna reached the children, he noted that most of them looked scared and were probably silenced into submission. But he had to act fast if he wanted the other to think the kid was dead. So he turned to the kid with the most scared expression and ...kicked him.

It set off a chain of crying- and created a huge racket.

Now the man was irritated and had a muddled thought process, making it easier to manipulate his thinking.

The representative did something unexpected, he took a gun and shot a random kid. The gunshot silenced the whole crowd of people bringing them back in control, which was bad for Tsuna.

Forcing himself out of the stupor-

'I have to get a grip! Or else Lambo can't get out of the situation.'

He shrieked and fell back. This got the other kids into a panic mode as they too started crying and shouting for mercy.

"I dwon't wanna die! I want my momma."

"Waaaah! Papa! Mama ! I want my papa and mama."

"I'm scared!"

The man came towards them, anger clouding his vision as he screamed at them to shut up. Tsuna quipped a scream to force the conversation to a certain direction.

"I wanna go home! Where are we going to go?!"

Then the man looked at the area and screamed.

"You are going to a new home now! And you'll eat, sleep and breathe on our mercy. The rest of your life is going towards science! We're going to put you into use.

Now, if you don't get into the car this instance. You're going to a different place than yer mama and papa! You're goin' straight to hell, where all naughty, disobedient kids go."

The kids muttered and sobbed... but they were generally subdued.

"Now git into that van!"

And they rushed into the van when the guy hit the head of the nearest child with the gun towards the van. The child fell and winced in pain, making the others focus in on him.

Seeing the lack of movement, he aimed at the feet of the child and shot. The child gave an agonizing scream as the other children dashed towards the van's storage compartment.

Tsuna came and picked up the child and supported him on his shoulder before scuffling to the back.

The man cursed at them as he made his way to the driver's seat and Tsuna gave one last look at the carton as he prayed for the health of the child, hoping that he hadn't extinguished the other's life.

The ride to the institution was noisy with wails and Tsuna found himself getting on the edge after being subjugated to the cries for 2 hours straight. Their begging and whining along with desperate thrashing around made him dreadful of the oncoming situation.

When they reached, Tsuna was dragged to another entrance separate from the others. They gave looks of jealousy at him like they thought he was going to be returned. Even though returning defective problems like him was a possibility... it was too optimistic of one.

'They must be wondering about my relationship with the Bovino.' and he darkly thought.

'Now Lambo is dead to them and I have no relation to them... so this is not going to end up well for me.'

They pulled him along and brought him to a room where people, who seemed to act like technicians or operators, worked. One of them swiveled out of her chair and moved towards him. She grabbed his chin and pulled it upwards to have a closer look. She glared and shouted in Italian, a language his delusion taught him by rambling in the language frequently.

"This is a damn civilian! There's no one who looks like that in the Bovino famiglia! How did he get passed with a Bovino!? They're a careful bunch so this shouldn't have happened! Where's the other one?!"

"Dead from seasickness."

"F*ck! Those b*stards are ruining business by shipping goods in a way they f*ckin break?!"

"Namimori has a strict security system. It's hard to jack someone else in an easier way."

"Sh*t. Anyway, interrogate that f*cker and find which famiglia is he from."

* * *

It was like a bad joke.

He was there kneeling on the ground as they brought a water barrel and some people surrounded him as they dunked him into the barrel while shouting the various threats and questions he heard from the mouths of the torturers of his enemies.

It was a ditto situation and it was like he was living through someone else feeling too tired and hungry to respond.

It was also like a rewind of the mirror and all the days of heaving and deep breathing along with the familiar sensation of choking. There were air bubbles circling him while his ears clogged and his eyes blurred. His nose ran and his eyes burned when they reached the surface while he got heartburn.

His memories lapsed and he was put into the scenarios as his 'bullies' and he just wanted to break his relation with water feeling his fingers tremble involuntarily as his body went to a memory lane with Natsu's death.

His knees were numb and his upper body was tense. His fear shut him down from the world... away from the angry screams and questions echoing in his ears.

Later when he came into consciousness, he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair with a flimsy table you couldn't grab on for support without the table falling on top of you.

The room was dark with a suspended oscillating lamp being the only source of light.

He was a drowned rat and the musky smell made him uncomfortable. There was a man sitting across him with a stern look on his face.

He moved forward and right into his space of vision and broke through his personal space bubble and said,

"They couldn't get a peep from you after drowning you. Do you want to be more cooperative this time?" And he grabbed his shoulder.

Tsuna could feel himself sweating, both from having his guard stripped off from the drowning and was tired from jetlag and hunger. He gulped and felt as vulnerable as he was when he was a child. Pieces of advice from his delusion flooded his brain, but he couldn't bring himself to implement anything.

So he nodded vigorously, willing to do anything to get the man out of his personal bubble. He felt too nervous.

The man screamed out-

"What's your relation with Bovino?!" and the loudness of his voice echoed through his still water-clogged ears, amplifying the sound and made him squirm in his very uncomfortable chair.

The grip on his shoulder was bruising.

"I met him at the bar in Namimori" he answered truthfully, wanting to escape from here.

"Why were you at Namimori?!"

"I live there."

"Namimori is one of the safest places in the world! How could you get there?!"

"Tell me the truth!"

"Lambo could get there."

"Don't change the topic. How did you get there?!"

"I live there."

"Tell me the truth."

"I live-" "Tell me the f*ckin truth! "

Tsuna could feel himself tear up at the loud screams directed at him when he felt so vulnerable. There was another hand on his shoulder shaking him so that they could get the answer they wanted.

It was alarming and Tsuna couldn't think of a lie feeling panic build in him because he wasn't allowed to think straight.

So he screamed the truth, only to have it rejected every time.

"Why you mother f*cker! Why are you keepin a secret like an adult?! When you've just graduated from giving your mom t*tty f*cks."

"Speak up you w*ss! Are you trying to f*ck with the Estraneo?!"

The man released his hands making the brunette lean away from him as he tried to shuffle back to give some space between them. He was knocked out of the chair to the floor with a hard slap. His eyes teared up with panicked confusion as his cheeks stung.

"B*tch you'd get f*cked up if you keep silent."

"Are you from the Difo famiglia? Vongola? Gesso? Cavallone? Todd? "

Tsuna couldn't reply, his brain catching up to him slowly as the wind made him feel colder and unbalanced. He couldn't focus on the conversation with the loud voice intimidating him.

He was dragged to stand up with the other yanking his hair with each of his strands felt like they burned him and made him focus on the pain rather than anything else.

He was then shoved to the wall as he gripped his head in pain.

Hands circled his neck as someone breath right in front of him using his oxygen supply. He had hot carbon dioxide shoved at him as his eyes quivered towards the other, fingers clawing at the other's tight grip.

His body screamed danger at him and his every hair bristled with adrenaline.

The man loomed and spoke clearly and slowly, pronouncing every syllable clearly. His voice rang low and was the center of focus-

"What famiglia are you from?"

"I'm a civilian. Please, please believe me. I'm telling the truth." he sobbed out, his adam's apple bobbed uncomfortably against the strong grip at his neck.

"You're saying the yakuza shipped a civilian from the iron defense of Namimori under Hibari protection with their mutual partner, a Bovino?!"

"Yes!"

"What kind of idiots do you take us for?! The current head, Hibari Kyoya has a reputation all over to Italy. And you're saying you found the yakuza under his protection?! And Bovino Lambo was considered betraying the Momokyokai partnership with Bovino for no reason?! What's your explanation?! Spit it out." he said gripping the brunette's jaw with painful strength.

"I don't know!" He couldn't think with his mind screaming at the pain and intrusion.

"How did you meet Bovino Lambo?! Why were you at the bar?! If Bovino was only at the bar for a meetup with his guide... why were you there?!"

"I don't know! I don't know!" He sobbed, just wanting to end all this.

His head was rammed against the wall once then twice and he gave a shrill scream and immediately had a sock stuffed into his mouth.

From the corner of his eyes, he observed that the man had one less sock and his eyes stung at the foul odor and taste.

The sock got removed and the other looked at him and said slowly.

"I'll give you one more chance. Which famiglia are you from?"

The brunette stuttered and stumbled to say,

"I have no famiglia."

"A freelancer huh? Who are you working for?"

"I-I'm a civilian, sir. Y-you gotta believe me."

The man clicked his tongue and left the room. Just when Tsuna thought he could have a breather, another man came.

And Tsuna's pupils expanded in fear and he shivered.

That day, his ears rung with screams and shouts while he was on high alert the whole time. No one gave him a break, but they switched between people to continue questioning him.

He passed out somewhere in between.

* * *

When he woke up, with his tunnel vision slowly expanding and letting him take in the entire surroundings, he saw that he was strapped into a chair.

And he wasn't alone. There was the teen in his age, the one he helped the previous day.

Water was splashed onto him, making him panic and an adult bent down to his level and said,

"We found that you helped this kid out when he was in a bind? You got something special with the kid?"

The brunette shivered in unease as the teen across him widened his eyes in fear as he sharply turned towards the brunette for assistance. He avoided his eyes and looked at his feet like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

He felt his throat tighten up as he felt straps force him to look at the other.

"How about you help the poor lad one more time? You help me, I'll help you. Ain't it a fair deal?"

Before the other teen could scream, a clamp holding his lower jaw and tongue down together like a sandwich was placed. Now the other could only speak incoherent noises and scream. Saliva drooled down his chin and the brunette tried to look down reflexively only to feel an intense pain followed by a sensation of hot blood flowing down his neck.

"Now, now. You have to face your friend properly. Either that or your jaw is going to be pierced through."

Tsuna's eyes widened in horror.

Another man entered the room with a cylindrical apparatus with a blade pointing inwards.

"We'll show our hospitality to your dear friend. Let's start by giving a manicure. Paint his nails red."

The man fastened the cylinder in a finger of the teen and moved the knife right below the under-skin of the nail. Tsuna and his supposed friend widened their eyes at the implications.

There were large cries reverberating around the room as shrieks of high pitches rang in the brunette's ears. He felt his heart pounding loudly ramming against his chest. He felt his palms sweat and he himself started whimpering.

When the other man started turning the wheel, the blade made it's way inside and a harrowing scream erupted in the room.

Tsuna's breath hitched as he let out a scream too, begging for the other to stop. His pleas couldn't be heard over the screams of his companion and his jaws screamed from the scratches from his abrupt turns and shaking of heads to show his denial.

When the deepest part of the nail was permeated through, it looked like a red Christmas tree was painted crimson. Then the blade was retracted and the other teens' hands were shaking wildly as he realized 9 more was left.

Tsuna clawed his thighs in absolute frustration as his tears flowed along the sides of his eyes. He was sobbing and whimpering loudly as the other's anguished cries reached his ears.

Then the cylinder was placed along the index and the teen shook epileptically in his chair crying pathetically. His lower lip was jutted upward as his eyes scrunched and he cried like a newborn baby.

Then the needle was inserted into his nail and he screamed a high pitched scream and Tsuna jumped from his chair, racking the whole furniture upwards and he tried moving it to face the torturer who seemed more interested in his companion than the guy he was supposed to be interrogating. He was too far to tug the other and his words couldn't be heard over the screams.

His own tears were blurring his vision and his thighs were bleeding from his sharp grip.

By the time one of the hands were done, the teen's pupils were wide open an unfocused. His voice was hoarse and his drool made his shirt soggy.

His hand had crimson red nails and Tsuna didn't care about the pain the blade embedded into his jaw. He was looking at the ground unfocused.

A hard slap dislodged the blade from the brunette and made him focus on his companion who looked exhausted.

The other adult moved to the other side of the teen who looked petrified like a statue with his mouth open wide and stuck in the position of excruciating pain.

It was as if he wasn't there with them.

But when the knife was lodged into the fingers, hoarse screams echoed and his companion spit out blood, his saliva exhausted.

When both the hands were done, the torturer removed Tsuna's jaw clamp and clicked his tongue at the blood. He then proceeded to admonish him while the brunette wanted to yell at them to let the other go. But he was rendered dumb from the ordeal.

The other glared hatefully in his direction, but he was too far gone to feel anything.

* * *

"Now that we've shown our hospitality... Let's get to business."

The other took the bloody cylinder and placed it on his apparent friend's lap, a sentiment he could find dreadful. Then he went out of the room and brought an apparatus used in hospitals... for mainly IV drips. He injected it into the other's arms and nodded towards the torturer.

"We play a game for fun using shots. Basically, a person has to take a pint for any lie they spout. But alcohol is expensive... so we use this kid's blood. You'll be drinking it. You're probably thirsty anyway right?"

Tsuna felt himself going pale and the other mimicked his look.

"Why were you at Namimori?"

He'd lie if he had to, but he had to satisfy this monster.

"We got info that the Bovino went to Namimori. So we decided to get information."

"The Bovino's flight was incognito, not even the Hibari's can track it especially because it's Bovino technology. How did you get there?"

"I came with Bovino. We're friends."

The man clicked his tongue. He showed two fingers towards the others.

Tsuna's eyes widened.

"I'm telling the truth. Honest!"

"Bovino went alone, we have direct info from the Bovino famiglia. It was chaos since a random member from the famiglia stole a 1 person and 1 person only jet to Namimori. The Bovinos specialize at efficiency, so there was no way to sneak two people in.

No famiglia knew that the Bovino pulled this off. They told us to keep him as a subject for punishment."

Tsuna paled.

"But he died and we don't know why you were there."

There were two glasses of blood right next to him.

"Drink."

He pursed his lips together in defiance only to get his jaw forcibly dislocated as this time his hoarse scream drew blood from ripping his throat apart. The glasses of blood flowed through his uvula and thought his food pipe and tears flowed down from his infinite tear reservoir. It was salty and metallic and he'd rather have a knife shoved into his throat than taste this. It was like his humanity was being robbed from him, forcing him to recognize that his very existence was bad luck, sucking the very blood and life from a person he had just wanted to help.

His companion didn't react to his screams or anything really. It seemed like he was purely exhausted and was minutes away from death.

"What was your motive?"

"I was kidnapped by the Momokyokai."

Another glass was forced down his throat. Tsuna choked and wished he could die instead. His mind was swerving uncomfortably and he wished they would just stop.

"Please! I'm telling the truth!"

"Who are you working for?"

"I got a personal grudge against Vongola."

"What's your freelancer alias?"

"..."

And another glass of blood was drunk. His stomach jiggled with the blood and he felt sick with pure disgust.

Tsuna gagged at the iron smell and proceeded to vomit it, unable to take it anymore.

"Puke it and I'll take the exact amount and make you drink it." the adult warned.

He sniffled and wept. His ears picked up feeble words aimed at him.

The teen across him looked at him and begged in a weak voice.

"Please... tell them everything... I beg you... Please help me again.

I... want to... live."

* * *

Tsuna broke down, feeling utterly helpless.

'They don't believe my truth or lies! What can I do?!'

"Please... you got to listen to me. I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, a middle schooler from Namimori Middle School. You can check up with the database there or get someone who can do that, maybe a hacker.

I'm a kid who gets bullied everyday but other than that, I'm a civilian. I have no criminal record. But one day when our school had a school trip, I decided to bunk it and go search around Namimori for quiet places to hang out in.

I saw a door in a corner of a building which had a different nameplate. It was colored gold when it's normally wood or plastic or none for all our houses. So I entered there and saw that it was a bar.

There was a kid so I wanted to play along so that I could admonish him later because he was going on and on about the Mafia and I thought he was playing a dangerous game.

But I found out that I was in too deep and the kid wasn't bullshitting me so I ran. The Momokyokai thought that I was in league with the kid and thought that I was going to oust them. So they shipped me here. That's all that happened.

I'm called dame-Tsuna among all the people of the town. How do you think I can do all this meticulous planning?!" he said in a frenzy. This had got to work. It was the utter truth.

"Give him a pint."

"What?! Why?! I told you the truth! You can verify it."

The man gave him a condescending look.

"You... We can't hack the database. Hibari security is literally unpenetrable. Only a few Arcobaleno can do it.

You're asking us to verify information that doesn't exist? And by asking us to verify, you're sending us to a rabbit hole, aren't you? To save yourself some time."

"No, I'm serious. I can bring all my certificates. You can come with me to Namimori or I can go back and get them."

"You're not going anywhere and you're not getting any of our men stuck in that town.

Bovino Lambo isn't stupid. He's just carefree. That's the only reason why he's not a boss candidate. He wouldn't fall for a stupid kid's answers.

He's pure Mafia-bred. They won't mistake a civilian."

He was getting desperate here. Why were the people he considered friends so capable that he can't pull anything with them?!

"Oh right, I'm the son of Sawada Iemitsu. He's the Vongola CEDEF-"

"Give this b*tch 3 pints. Idiota! Don't you know Sawada Iemitisu is single?!"

He felt dizzy. It was like his father's protectiveness was ruining things for him. He was so lost he didn't register the blood flowing to his stomach. His eyes glanced at the pasty pale skin of his companion who lost his consciousness.

"You have three more pints before you murder your friend. What a heartless b*tch you are! Can't even tell the truth to help a human out. Well, yer a well-trained mafioso.

I'll give you one last chance to alter yer fate and yer friend's fate.

What do you want from the Estraneo famiglia?"

"...I want to support a project..."

he said feeling rage bubble up inside him.

"I want to support the project for reviving Rokudo Mukuro."

'and damn the Mafia to hell'

The adults gasped and turned serious.

One of them grasped at his collar tightly and shook him in rage.

"Why this b*tch! How the h*ll do you know about no.69?! It was top secret!"

And the other shoved blood over his body. The feeling of the sticky liquid made him turn his head towards the teen across him and he saw that the other looked like a dried up corpse and something in him...

...

...

broke into tiny, tiny pieces.

...

...

And he stared right at them eyes blazing orange and they rushed out of the room and dashed back in with a steaming hot rod.

The burning feeling on his chest as the steaming red hot rod sizzled into his skin... imprinting a pattern.

There was an ID printed: VST027 along with its barcode.

As his screams echoed in the room with people laughing at his suffering... he felt a principle develop against the idea of the Mafia and an urge to stop this kind of anarchy.

In the dark room, the only things which glowed were:

The heat rod.

and his golden-orange eyes, albeit faintly.

* * *

Preview:

Heterochromatic eyes looked at the strange brunette, the newest addition who spent rest time clawing at his id code. He couldn't say that he wasn't amused. But he was interested in the possibility of an ally for his scheme


	7. Yin Yang: The saint and the devil

**Chapter 7**

**Yin Yang: The saint and the devil**

Back to the present,

Tsuna rested in his cage, having been converted from suspicious mafia spy to hopeless experiment subject because of his temper. Yeah, he was stupid saying those stuff...

He even got his neighbor as Rokudo Mukuro as a consequence.

Said Experiment 69 glared across him after hearing all the snark the scientists told the brunette. If you were curious, they basically said that he had got what he wished for since they interpreted Tsuna's threat as a claim for wanting to steal the experiment. If only he hadn't phrased it that way...

Now, the constant cries around the boy didn't let him make clear decisions. It didn't help that the experiments caused bodily harm. Even if Tsuna passed out from pain when it was conducted, it didn't mean wounds disappeared into thin air...

And Rokudo wasn't helping either.

He glared at the brunette and in turn, the irritated brunette glared back.

They were like cats and dogs with how hostile they were to each other.

The night passed and Tsuna slept to the noise of anguish.

The next morning, the cages opened automatically as per schedule and the kids robotically got out of the cage and queued up.

They'd be electrocuted if they didn't. It wasn't the amount to make a person pass out, unfortunately. It was more of painful jolts, like the electrocute pads for CPR.

Tsuna observed his fellow inmates, the day being his 3rd day in captivity. He had been noting down the steps from the experiment chambers (for group experiments) to his cage and the intersections along the path.

So far, it looked like they had no windows to escape from, the vents were too high up to access and there were no remote tools to utilize. The doors were activated by their torturers by their personal card which they hung around their neck (like it was taunting him). Now, if Tsuna was athletic, he could use the bracelets against them by making contact when they pressed the button to control them and electrocute them. But he wasn't, so he couldn't spiderman his way up the vent either, or sneakily move through there even if he could.

But... that didn't mean he gave up.

There were somethings which lead him to believe that he could, in fact, get away from the place.

Now... other than the fact that the brunette felt his wounds sting when he woke up, his life was very peaceful. No one bothered him and no one bullied him. He wasn't teased and he could have food and rest. He was basically useless to the scientists since he shut down when the experiment started. And his body didn't react much to anything like it was living up to his reputation- Dame-Tsuna.

In fact, it was the first time in his life that he was glad to be no good.

But he didn't want to stay there.

When he opened his eyes to look around, he saw only grief and people who wore the same expressions he did. He did want to feel like he belonged... but... he didn't want to wish upon others his pains and troubles.

Tsuna believed that there were two kinds of people. He knew so when he looked at the person his delusion considered family.

There was him, a bullied kid who was knocked down any peg he could stand on and be pushed down life's stairs. The victim who hated himself so much, he can't stand another him.

Then there was Rokudo Mukuro, one of the oldest survivors in the famiglia. The victim who wanted the ones who bullied him to fall down to his level and make others... just like him.

They both shared the same sentiment having known the character of each other. They didn't like each other was the understatement of the century.

'I dunno why 'Tsuna' considered that guy his family of all things. I don't want anything to do with him.'

Nights from then, he woke up with the sounds of cheer to see that Rokudo got his hands at the keys to their cages and had opened the cages of the kids. They were sitting around him, waiting for him to speak.

A mist was in the air and Tsuna understood what transpired.

The pineapple-head had a plan apparently.

* * *

"The night's young. So we have enough time to put those Mafia scum in their place... down in hell."

They all cheered in delight at the chance to get away from the hellhole.

Tsuna scoffed at the dramatics. The teen turned his way to the caged cellmate and spoke belittlingly,

"I forgot about you... You're already put in your damn place."

Tsuna rolled his eyes, not willing to rise up to the taunt.

"They took our names, our families, our identity... our soul!"

They cheered loudly,

"The pain we feel... no one can ever understand...

The sheer injustice! Why should we suffer when they can strut around while we bleed and toil. They bathe in our tears. They wring us dry. They give us no grave to rest in. We will not rest in peace.

Why should they live on our deaths?

Why should they live without suffering?"

The children were getting riled up. There was a chatter fluttering in the air. Unrest and anger filled the air-

"Why are we letting them get away with such atrocities?

Why can't we stand up and fight?"

They were yelling and screaming their support. It felt fanatical.

"Let them pay their due price. We will take, take what we want right from their grubby paws.

From this day on, we will start a rebellion."

Tsuna felt skeptical in the beginning, but then as the other put his speech forward... something crackled in him.

"We have lost countless. They gave no way of fighting back. But I can fight for your will."

The room became were hushed silent as they waited with baited breaths and fingers crossed. They hoped desperately that they could be saved.

"With my power, I can obliterate every last member of the Estraneo scum. But that wouldn't be satisfying would it?"

Tsuna felt a wave of blood-lust pass him, like his disdain of the famiglia evolved to something more sinister. And he wasn't alone. Rage filled every corner of the building.

"Wouldn't you like to see them suffer? Writhe in agony?"

The atmosphere was vengeful.

"Sell your soul to me and I'll grant you... your freedom and justice."

They nodded and pumped their fists up eagerly, just itching to do something... anything if it meant changing their predicament. Pleased that he got their absolute cooperation, he smirked, ready to put out his plan forward. The room was chaotic and felt unsettling.

"Then get all the weapons in the building. We'll let them have a taste of their own... 'medicine'.

No one will stop you. We are just in our motives.

The pain we felt, the suffering we underwent.

Why would we want to run away like dogs with their tails tucked away?! They deserve pain!"

They stood up in their excitement and uproared.

"We want to see their blood! We'll strip their organs and give them a painful death.

Do you want to let them go just like that? Don't you want revenge?!

Are you fine with letting them murder your families, your friends?!"

They screamed in outrage.

"Then we'll show them what monsters get when they live in our world. What do trash like that deserve?"

They chanted-

"Murder! Murder! Murder! Murder! Murder!"

Death threats flew in the volatile air.

"Show me what you want to see on their faces"

They bit their skin, tore their bandages, scratched their skin away to show him.

blood.

"Then swear your fealty to me and I shall help you with your justice." he raised his materialized trident towards them.

The crowd scampered forward and dyed the weapon red.

As blood dripped onto the floor, Mukuro looked at them with a sinister smile as their pupils dilated...

and cackled-

"Kufufufufufu

fufufu

Kufufufufu"

* * *

Then a voice penetrated through the laughter,

"Are you satisfied with just that? Rokudo Mukuro."

The illusionist turned his head towards the source of the noise, to see glowing amber eyes aimed at him.

"Afraid you'll be lonely in here when the Estraneo die? Don't worry, I'll personally stab you to death tonight."

"I'm afraid. I won't be satisfied with dying here."

"Why? Because it's not the place where you're destined to die?" he mocked.

"I have my own agendas with the Estraneo."

"Oya? You want to lend a hand in murdering these scum?"

"No. If I have my way, They won't be dying anytime soon."

"...

You mafia are all the same. Do you want to use them for your famiglia? After you've personally experienced what we go through...

You want people like them to live?" his eyes glowered with pure hate as he zeroed in on the brunette who was still infuriatingly calm.

"You're quite a saint, aren't you? Rokudo" Tsuna mocked.

He thought the other was playing hero, thinking the other would preach him on the values and virtues of life, say...

He was completely startled, his guard lowered and the illusion he cast around the institution wavered for a few seconds.

Amber glowed as the other spoke to him patronizingly,

"Why would you kill someone and end it that quick when you can make them suffer for life?" he laughed humorously.

"You think that it ends with death? They'd be sent to hell!"

"They're researchers for the mafia. What do you think they'd work for? World peace?"

The other snarled at him-

"Besides, they didn't traffic you guys... they were sent as presents by the other famiglia. That's why the Vindice won't capture these guys... but they'll capture you and the ones still living and you'd be a lab rat with no goal this time."

"I'll just have to take over the Mafia."

"You in what army?"

"I just need a good vessel. I'll take the Vongola Decimo candidate and make the Mafia collapse from the inside-"

"You think that's going to work since the Vongola's the most powerful famiglia in the world right now? Do you even know what's going on right now?" He asked incredulously.

Getting no response and seeing that the illusionist was bristling and defensive, he continued.

"Varia's Xanxus murdered two of the candidates for the succession. No one pinned him down for it yet. And the Nono's too sentimental to accept the truth that his very son was murdering all his others to get into that list... because he was adopted. And guess what, even if he kills every last one of them, he still won't be selected.

If that happens, the next in line would be a civilian. Isn't that ridiculous? That is going to be your vessel." he laughed hysterically.

"You know what that civilian is known for in Namimori? For being absolutely useless and failing horribly to do basic activities. He's called dame-Tsuna, for petes sakes."

"You could be lying like that Mafia scum you are! If things were really that bad, the famiglia would have heard about it!"

The brunette didn't even flinch.

"Use your trident to break the cuffs and I'll show you how."

Feeling suspicious, but curious at the basis for the confidence the brunette showed. He broke the cuffs with the trident, feeling surprised that the other didn't flinch when he did so. The brunette had personally seen him possess the others by taking their blood... so why did that mafia b*tch offer him the power to control his body (practically on a silver plate)

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, that civilian." he said removing his shirt.

There were scars and bruises littered all over his body, cut scars plentiful in number... a telltale story of what the brunette experienced and what he was trying to pull off.

"If I was killed, Vongola collapses and the Mafia is in chaos. Simple right?

Then someone else will take over and your plan's thwarted."

Seeing the other observe his body seriously, he added.

"I've failed in killing myself, so if you can kill me, please... please do." he choked.

Mukuro's eyes widened in shock at how the boy he thought apathetic, sniveled like a baby.

* * *

"I've not been there like you've been... but I want the Mafia destroyed.

I've seen monsters beat a small animal to flesh and bones in my had me as a substitute until they found a bond between me and a cat for petes sakes...They just loved the fact that I was showing emotions like a normal human.

And I'm damn sure there are others who would do the same to see that reaction from me again.

I've seen a kid who's rejected by his family because he didn't approve of his family's experiments. If there's one Estraneo... there are others.

Estraneo is just one of the other Mafia famiglia.

You know what the Vongola was? A Vigilante. Funny, seeing how far they dropped!

And I'm supposed to inherit that blood! Do you know what they do to the boss that betray the famiglia? They break their bones from each part and take the organs, probably to the black market.

They do that over a month. There is no easy death.

I've been drowned by civilians, I don't know what the Mafia would do to me!

The moment you murder the Estraneo, you'll be hauled in by the Vindice. Then what? If you're the worst prisoner they got, you're going to be drowned" he shivered, his body reacted automatically, fueled by his trauma.

"And you're never going to feel sensations from that body of yours." he pointed at the other.

"Your best alternative would be going through one vessel after the other, as they hunt them all down like they hunt ducks for sport.

That would the only way you wouldn't be a vegetable, would be by using another corpse to live on like a parasite."

A trident got lodged right at his neck, he ignored the burning sensation at his throat as he used it to get up, ignoring the burn his sensitive hands felt when they cut against the sharp pain. He continued desperate and hysterical.

"I want to show that these kind of dealings are nothing but injustice. No one should have the power to use beings like wooden toys like it's an experiment to find what tinkers.

How can you force someone to drink the blood of a person you wanted to help out? That person didn't even have a motive to do that! If I knew that something like that was going to happen, I wouldn't have dare helped them! Forced to suck them dry and watch their nails painted blood red like it was some damn show!

This is not the right way to gain power! That's no way to treat a person who looks, breathes, eats, sleeps like you!"

"Then you're saying that we should just say the system is wrong?! That the whole reason why we were stuck in this hell hole for 13 years was just that we were unlucky?!

That we couldn't do anything about it?! That we shouldn't even try?!

There is no peaceful, bloodless solution for it. They should get just what they deserve and feel and live through what we lived through."

They glared at each other, seemingly at a deadlock.

Then Tsuna stepped up with a huff and just when Rokudo could smirk a victory, the brunette shuffled through his hair picking up a coin. (He learned a trick from Lambo)

And said with an absolutely straight face-

"Then let's flip a coin"

"Huh?"

"Well, if you don't want to... you could always kill me to see if I said the truth or not... and get to Vendicare prison. Kind of redundant, isn't it?"

The illusionist glared at him.

"Pick."

'What an idiot! Making me pick with my hyper intuition and all. Well, he doesn't know and I'll keep it that way as far as I can.' Tsuna thought, biting his lips to hide his laugh.

"Heads."

They flipped the coin, only for it to land, obviously on its head.

Mukuro couldn't believe it and when he looked at the other's smug look, he opened his mouth to protest, to claim that the other cheated-

"Are you going to whine, Rokudo?"

And promptly swallowed any words. He smiled a smile, not quite reaching his eyes.

"Of course not, Tsunayoshi-kun. What makes you think that I of all people would say so in a game obviously totally fair, right?" he stressed those words to get a confirmation, kind of like a low-key whine.

"Totally fair, Rokudo."

Stuffing down his amusement at seeing the other twitch, he said seriously.

"I want to sabotage them with libels and malarkey, to be frank."

The other elegantly raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate,

"How much do you know about Estraneo?"

The other snorted. Tsuna tried again.

"Come on, I'm new here. Do you-"

"I know the place inside out. Come on, how long do you think I lived here?"

"Yeah, ok. Then I need to broadcast the experiments to all the mafia famiglias, alter the face images a bit... so that it's hard to find you if they try to drag you back. It'd be like picking a needle from a haystack.

But there should be a resemblance."

Mukuro looked outraged-

"Tsunayoshi-kun, what kind of fool do you think we are? Hmm? One that'd like to sell us all to the black market quickly and easily? "

"You guys probably already had a bid on you anyway. If you put all the information out, they'll be violating customer privacy.

Estraneo's the go-to guy for the Mafia right? Then if we ruin the trust with their clients-"

The illusionist's eyes widened.

"You don't have to baby me. Who do you think I am? We'll get Estraneo as the number one target of their wrath. Chikusa."

The silent teen at his side nodded as he moved forward.

Tsuna looked surprised.

"I wouldn't possess everyone. That would be stupid.

But I needed you to reveal your true nature, in case you thought that you could 1 up me. Not that you can ever do that, in your life." he said looking at him patronizingly.

They were planning on sending the information about the weapons, both biological and technological with the number of orders along with the client list out there for all the famiglia's to see.

Lambo had told Tsuna that not even the Vendice could do anything about the Estraneo since all the famiglias usually did business there. There weren't any other famiglias that serious about human mutilation and mutation.

Verde focused on automation, believing the power of devices rather than people. And the Bovino dealt mostly in explosives and other innovative devices (ten-year bazooka).

(And Talbot was hidden from most of the Mafia. The Millefiore didn't exist, yet... so no Spanner or Shoichi)

The collapse of the Estraneo would bring chaos... that's what Tsuna wanted.

The next day, experiments took place as normal with the scientists unsuspecting of the state of their subjects.

* * *

At night, Tsuna's cage was open as the illusionist beckoned (high handedly with his fingers) to sit across him.

Two other people sat in their circle. Everyone else was dazed and the institution was misty.

The brunette took the bread he saved and tossed it to Mukuro who caught it instinctively.

"What's this for?"

"Eat it. You've been using that mist and keeping up with the possessions for two days now. You need the energy.

Anyway, how did the scientists not figure out that you guys messed with the products?"

The two looked at the indigo haired teen in surprise, as the other looked intensely at the brunette for a moment.

The blond haired teen said.

"That's obvious, pyon! We deleted all records of tampering with the machine."

The brunette sighed with relief. He then looked like he was deciding whether to say something or not.

"Oya? It seems like you've got the next part of your plan ready. Do tell us, or else that toss would have been pointless."

"...We could break the glass cover of the biometrics panel or the glass from the emergency exit button and fix it in the recognition panel, so when the torturer-" he shut up, embarrassed he said that out loud, ignoring the snickers and the amused look Rokudo shot at him and continued after a deliberate cough.

"-tries to verify their id, they'd get pricked. They can either think it's static charge or you could stay there and immediately possess them."

The illusionist's brain was ticking and Tsuna did not like the conclusion he was sure the other would come to.

Chikusa piped up instead.

"Mukuro-sama, that Possessed sc*m can gain access to the weapons room and get the weapons and shoot every last one of them. "

The brunette paled.

The illusionist smiled and said,

"It'd be better to let that sc*m possess the others. Then we just have to take control of the lab entirely and show them what they're messing with."

The other two were on board that plan. He saw the brunette searching for something just then and he smiled wider.

"Looking for the coin? Sure, let's play it again, same stakes. But I'll toss it."

'Nice. He hasn't figured it out.'

"Tails."

And it landed on tails. Mukuro and Ken gaped at him.

"I win. Back to the topic... We'll make the guy possess the rest of them and get them to spit out what each door holds. There ought to be a storehouse for the personal details for the employees. Sell their stocks and empty their bank accounts to other sources at once. We'll let the police know."

Mukuro couldn't stop gaping at him.

"Well, yeah... this is like exposing the existence of the Mafia to Italy, maybe the world. But that works out for us. The Mafia will be rushing to cover their asses since Estraneo's pretty much gonna out itself to the world.

Right, we need a reason. Otherwise, the Vindice will hunt us. Let's create a trail that Vindice hardcoded in case of emergencies, and show that the trail got misdirected over time. Is that possible, Kakimoto-san?"

The teen nodded.

"I can make it link with computers, change the timestamps and make it seem that some civilians change the link to a public side and it got exposed.

But I'll need a day minimum."

When the brunette looked at the illusionist worried the other scoffed.

"Please don't insult me like that. I can keep in control of my powers for far longer."

"Then hold on until we find sleeping pills. We'll make enough for two days of sleep." and not noticing Mukuro and the others bristle at the thought of the others ingesting it.

"And give them to most of the scientists. Let's leave one for manipulation and information." he then looked at how tense they were and gave a questioning look.

"We could sell the locations online later after we escape-"

"I'll make a delayed bomb. I checked last night, the Estraneo downloaded their attachments automatically. I could fill the computer downloads with viruses of varying strengths."

Tsuna looked surprised that the black haired teen initiated a conversation on his own remembering that the delusion said the other didn't talk to 'him' unless prompted. He asked instead of thinking on it.

"You won't be coding them all right?"

Ken replied angrily.

"Kaki-p keeps them on the computer already, pyon! We needed information, so he got better at cracking the computer and hiding files. We just need to uncover them. Stop worrying so much, pyon!"

"Hmm... Ok then. You could do one thing, you could create a fake account and slowly transfer the money from other dummies like you could keep one or two illegal accounts and use it to fund yourselves if you're going to travel from there to a place you want to live.

You guys could slowly get into civilian life. Could be more peaceful."

Looking at them stare at him, he hastily said.

"A-Ah, the account may have Mafia links, but you guys deserve it more than they do. So you can, if you want to, use them to do whatever you want.

You'll be free to do that then.

Yeah, but a civilian's life might not be bliss... take it from me."

Ken started laughing then and the brunette averted his face to avoid showing the blush sporting in his cheek.

'They definitely think I'm a softy now.'

"You could also leak the locations of their home and their family. You can choose what to do because you've been more personally affected than anyone else, so I can't force you to accept my choices here."

Chikusa looked at him and said,

"They'd be found by the Mafia either way when we do those."

"Yeah, but you can choose whether you want to do that or you want the Mafia to do that."

Mukuro noted amusedly.

"You know, for saying that the system has to be changed, you're the one, in the end, making the more extreme decision."

Tsuna looked at him sardonically.

"That's why I said you were an angel, Rokudo-san. Estraneo can be put up as an example for the future famiglias if they went too far. So that's why I thought of this."

In the next few days, the plan had been put to motion and easily executed.

Mukuro had looked as refreshing and energetic (throwing cynical and sassy remarks as usual) as he usually was and Tsuna ignored all protests as he gave him extra bread and food to eat, claiming that he hadn't felt hungry.

Tsuna grimaced as he entered one room, there were corpses everywhere. Mukuro had tagged along with him claiming that he was bored and everything else was finished.

"We've already evacuated the rest of them you know and scrambled more images with confusing data about us, they'd probably ignore us if they see us thinking that the Estraneo was hacked by desperate famiglia.

Those stupid Mafia will never discuss it in detail since it would confirm a lot of plans."

Tsuna grunted as he approached the fresher corpses and brought them down.

"So why are you still here? We'll be leaving. Don't you want to go back to Japan?"

Tsuna looked at him in shock.

"You forget that I knew about you from the files after those sc*m were screeching at you."

He nodded, chastising himself for being so distracted he forgot that the other searched him up when the 'researchers' were gloating to him.

"Yeah, I remember now. Sorry, it's just that I have some last minute preparations. I'll have to mutilate these and lay them around the base and make sure the floors are soaked with a lot of blood."

Mukuro scoffed.

"With you looking that pale? I don't think you can do that."

"I have to. Or the Vindice will figure it out."

"Let them. They'll turn a blind eye to it."

"The Vindice?!"

"Idiota, you forget that they couldn't capture them because it had a lot of strings. Now they're all cut loose."

"Ah... yeah. But what if?"

"There won't be any proof tying us down to here. We're already being taken down from the black market and the files here are burnt.

Kufufu...We can be the needles in the haystack.

Oh right. Let's make one last bet, Will we go hunt down every Mafia family or take a little vacation and spend the useless piles of paper in our accounts?

I call tails."

He said as he flipped the coin towards Tsuna.

"Kufufu. A vacation it is."

Tsuna looked surprised at the coin which showed a tails

'Why he... figured it all out... then wait, what-?'

He whipped his face towards the illusionist who was smiling a bright smile. The brunette relaxed and smiled back cheery after the two week ordeal.

"Besides... the Mafia have other problems."

The illusionist turned and moved ahead saying,

"The Vongola's Xanxus killed the other two. He's been put on trial under the charge of getting rid of the only candidates for succession."

* * *

Preview:

The teen huffed a cigarette as he looked the moping brunette in front of him

"I could get you a ticket back to Japan without 'em tracking you if you left that topic alone"

A/N:

There are two kinds of justice being talked here

retributive justice and restorative justice

Retributive justice is basically an eye for an eye. If a person does a crime, then they have to suffer the same pain the victim went through, to be called even. Mukuro was advocating this

Restorative justice is one where the crime doer would be forgiven but has to atone for their crimes in some way or the crime is the focus, not the criminal. Tsuna was advocating this in the bigger picture, he was letting the 'researchers' live and forced the Mafia to prevent such power hoarding and also forced them to change their sources, it won't solve the problem but it could let the Vendice regulate their trades better

Let's put a quick question for fun:

How do you think Rokudo knew about the Vongola at the end? Normally this kind of thing would be kept hush hush


	8. You can't hide forever

**Chapter 8**

**You can't hide forever**

Tsuna looked at the slums in front of him. Mukuro and company said that they had other stuff to do, so they didn't come along.

"Who'd want to go with Mafia scum anyway?" the illusionist quipped.

But, the reason he was in this location was a result of their suggestion.

Mukuro looked at the lost puppy look directed at him and clicked his tongue.

"Didn't you tell me that you split with that Bovino brat? If the rumors are correct then you'd see him in the slums. That's where he's sighted usually.

So stop staring into space and get lost already. I don't want to be captured because they found a suspicious kid at these quarters."

'Is Bovino really going to be here? I thought if you're in the Mafia, you'd be in a really large shady mansion...' the brunette thought skeptically as he took side glances as he moved in the sidewalks.

Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulders.

Squeaking he fell to the ground expecting the worst of scenarios. A rugged man towered upon him condescendingly,

"You're looking for Bovino Lambo?"

'Was Lambo expecting me? Smart kid.'

"Yeah."

The man grunted and turned around. Tsuna jumped to his feet, his nerves already tensed to the peak after observing the grim surroundings he'd been walking on.

When the man glared at him to hurry up, the brunette took a final glance around and decided to follow him.

'Regardless of whether I'd get ganged up or beaten to death, there's nothing I can do anyway.'

Squaring his shoulders and hunching forward, he tried to make himself look as small and insignificant as possible.

The walk was silent, save for the hoots and shouts from the quarrels from their sides.

Finally, the man opened a door and ushered him in. The shutting of the door made his blood go cold and he hoped he'd live a bit longer.

And it seemed like that wouldn't get answered when suddenly his vision got cloudy as a smell he could distinctly identify as chloroform overcame anything else he smelled at the moment. His eyes burnt with unshed tears as despair muffled him, just like the cloth over his mouth.

* * *

"Tsunayoshi-kun~ Get up already."

A cheerful voice woke him up. Tsuna tried to make sense of his surroundings, ignoring the feeling of someone poking his sides. When light tunneled into his vision, he saw a face that made him paler than snow.

All at once, blood filled his ears, a loud ringing filled the room and his body grew completely stiff.

His visitor didn't like the fact that he was screaming apparently, seeing that he shoved a sock into his mouth.

"Geez, after seeing an old friend, the first thing you do is scream." the teen in front of him pouted.

Tsuna jerked his head to check for escape routes in the white room he was tied up in and panicked when he didn't find any visible doors or windows. Then the guy in front of him forcibly grabbed his attention by the chin. When he spoke, the scent of marshmallows was strong and Tsuna could swear everything around him was pure white- the room, its decorations, the clothes of his kidnapper, the food said kidnapper ate.

"It's been a long time- or should I say, nice to finally meet you?" Byakuran Gesso said as he brought out an incense stick from his desk and lit it, placing it next to their chairs.

He then took out the socks, looking mildly disgusted at the saliva and threw it at the brunette's feet.

"How do you know-"

"I get that you got lotta questions, but I'm not interested in playing 21 questions. I don't like getting interrogated you see~

Let me just say one thing for the intro- just like how your future self has kept contact with you through technology, it's not like no one could figure what they were doing for precautions, especially the mafia group that won in the timeline. Especially since you lost and seeing how scared you were when you saw me, you know exactly how you lost.

It's not fair if you're the only one who got a head start, you see~"

"Those guys wouldn't have divulged the info about the fact that the Tsuna there was sending info to me."

"Sure they wouldn't. Those guys were a pain in the neck. But it's not like the most influential group in power and information couldn't tap into it."

"Weren't Irie and Sawada friends?!"

"But the Vongola that won against the Gesso group weren't from this timeline, so the you from the future wasn't reliable enough to get Sho-chan to team up with them. Sad story right?"

The brunette looked shocked at his words. Then, in this future... he didn't have to fight them? Or was it just another Sawada from another parallel world who got that privilege? With hope building up, he asked the white-haired teen.

"So does that mean you still want to conquer the world? In that case, I should tell you, I don't plan on being the boss if I can do anything about it."

He was met with the most pitying of looks as the other told him.

"There's no more conquering worlds since we'd already done it. What's the point in doing over things again and again?"

Tsuna could feel the beginning of a smile at his face.

"But you not wanting to become the boss? Wow. That's the only thing you have so far in common with the Tsunayoshi-kun that won.

Either way, that's going to be very difficult."

"I've not done anything that'd make me stand out like that-"

"Hah? Are you kidding me? Not stand out? Like how you broadcast the Estraneo information?"

It felt like there was cold water spilled all over him and he looked wide-eyed at the Gesso heir.

"Geez Tsunayoshi-kun, you'd be in a hitman list for even managing to do that. What was the future you thinking, giving a kid such information? Look what have you done with that."

Getting no reaction, Byakuran turned towards him and patted him on the shoulder.

"But don't worry Tsunayoshi-chan, I've taken the blame in putting them down to feed our reputation. So let me see a smile in that face" he said showing all his pearly whites.

"... … … What do you want me to do?"

"Huh? How about giving me a smile?"

"What did you gain from taking the blame?"

"...

So suspicious. I guess you'd have that after you twisted the students from Namimori to harbor malicious intent towards you. In fact, it was twisted to watch. You getting bullied, you provoking them to get bullied harsher. What a vicious cycle."

"Please don't redirect the conversation. I want to know what are the conditions and what I owe you in exchange for the survivors' safety."

"A protection fee, huh? Pretty shrewd of you to try to get another favor."

"Well you're a Mafia syndicate and they usually give services for protection for a price right?"

"Is it really fine to strike a deal with the Mafia? You might lose a limb or two~"

"It's not like I can get free since you've got dirt on me."

"Hmm~ But it's not like I can use you since you're just an ordinary citizen~

Hey, how 'bout I tell you what I've done and what you have to repay."

"..."

* * *

"Say Tsunayoshi-kun, did you think you could actually leak all the information between enemies and get away with, 'a hacker did it or the group did it to sabotage each other?'

Sure you went about it in a smart way, choosing where to start and where to end... but in that short time frame with really smart people monitoring you? That's a suicidal plan, kid."

'I'm not letting a word slip about Mukuro and the others...'

"You're lucky we directed all that info to us and that we spread it through our diverse information network.

And...

You're lucky that I egged Hibari to try shutting down Estraneo."

"If you've done your research, you'd know that Hibari doesn't let people get close. He would much rather bite me to death rather than protect me if that's what you're implying."

"Huh, really?~

The new heir would disagree, especially since I showed the scars you've gotten from this tryst."

Tsuna's chair cluttered as he jumped at that information. Byakuran merely laughed at his reaction and continued-

"I mean if someone sent you important information, isn't it normal to check the source and how legitimate it is? It's just that in our case, we hacked the surveillance cameras near the computers a bit since the others were mysteriously switched off" he said teasingly. He continued shrugging.

"Hibari was a tough customer. He didn't want to listen to a word I said until I tried my luck on the relationship between you guys in the future by showing the video on the torture.

He was pissed, is an understatement. In fact, the reason why the Estraneo shut down in that short time could be mostly attributed to him.

Man, the Hibaris are so scary~" he said, inching towards the brunette. Towering over him at a face's distance, he whispered,

"I would wonder what you did to get his loyalty this early on? But then again, I had the front rows for the things you've done before. You've both employed such similar methodologies. No wonder you're all Sawada Tsunayoshis.

I have to say, you keep things interesting, Tsunayoshi-kun. But I won't forgive you if you try and take the easy way out. You've got a debt to fulfill."

"...I'm not being a Mafia Boss, Gesso."

"Call me Byakuran, like you've done in the future. If you can get away from being a member of the Mafia, go ahead and try. I'm of the opinion that you're already a part of it~" he said slipping a card in his hand.

Tsuna looked at it curiously;

"That's your ticket back to Namimori, as per your cloud guardian's condition-"

"He's not my cloud guardian-"

"And the way to keep in contact with me. You know what'd happen if you lose it, right?"

The brunette gulped.

"It's gonna find you, silly~ It's got honing features. You can't burn it, dissolve it, tear it or disintegrate it. And if you try to avoid me, I'll be so sad~ My friend would contact you though, you'd know them.

Now shoo. Hibari-chan would have my head otherwise." he chirped, cutting the wires and helping the brunette stand up.

"It's the room from the right of the floor below. Happy journey."

Tsuna walked towards the door disoriented and confused. When he was about to exit the room, he heard the parting words the heir shouted that sent shudders through him.

"If you think that the bullying was bad, wait till you experience what the people in your missions do to the 'soft-hearted', 'wimpy', 'loser' you. I doubt you'd have any fun in the missions."


	9. I'm home

**Chapter 9**

**I'm home**

One doesn't have to have psychic intuition or be a great detective to figure out that it's a bad idea to try rebel in a house full of mafia men and women. But Tsuna had the utmost pleasure to hear first hand, about what happens when someone tries that out. He tried his best to keep his vision to his boots after hearing muffled screams from the depth of the corridors. It was quite unfortunate that the sharp hearing he developed from years of being bullied bit him back in the worst of places.

'I need to get rid of the card somehow...' He thought with his pale knuckles gripping tightly onto the card, when suddenly.

He yelped, startling the guards surrounding him to focus their attention to him.

'I forgot about that burned hand.'

But the guards didn't look away even when he explained the pain from gripping with his wounded hand.

Then inspiration struck, and the brunette decided to test his luck.

"E-excuse me, sir... Could you keep a hold on this card?"

On seeing their suspicious glances, he quickly rectified.

"I-I'm sorry for asking so much... but, my hand got burned very badly when I was captured in Estraneo. Byakuya-san really helped me to get out of there... ha..ha... But it hurts so much..." he said, clutching his wound tightly enough to bleed a little, just to get his tear ducts working.

'Now this is the important part. This will determine Gesso's character.'

"Give it to me. Byakuran-sama told me that the card was to be present on you when we reach Namimori." a guard said taking the card with him.

Tsuna grinned internally to himself at the discovery.

"Thank you very much."

The rest of their journey to the private hangars was fairly quiet and Tsuna took the time to plot.

"Here's the card. It has an RFID tag which you have to swipe in the sensor to disarm the security devices for moving through the hallway."

"What about the security in the hallways?"

"Overhead sensors for biometric recognition. It's the state of art. We will reach Namimori safely, there's no need to worry."

"You guys are amazing. I heard that the Gesso Famiglia had impressive technology, but it's another thing to see it with my very eyes."

Amber eyes focused on the slightly proud puff the men gave, as pride filled them.

'So I was right... These guys weren't given complete information if they're taking the time to explain these things to me... Not to mention that they didn't object or look distrusting when I said nonsense to get them to take the card...

Luckily I didn't have to weave another set of lies to get the story to fit what happened.

So Gesso doesn't trust these guys deeply huh? Or maybe, it's because they're the grunts of a Mafia organization...

Either way, these guys have misunderstandings regarding my identity.'

The hallway was pretty long, so Tsuna could make complete use of the time.

"I didn't think that the Gesso could intercept Estraneo like that."

"We have the best of technicians in the world. It was only natural that we could get the upper hand from that famiglia sooner or later."

"I heard all of their sensitive information got leaked."

"It was the quick decision from Byakuya-sama. It sunk them quite fast since we moved fast after we got the information."

"That worked well for us too. It will help build relations with our famiglia and yours."

"An alliance with the Vongola will be very favorable for us."

'Could it be? That Bovino was right? That I have a relation to the Vongola...? Maybe... Let's try to find information on which side of my family I got that from.'

"But why did you decide to create a tie with my family's side of the Vongola?"

"Information can determine who lives or dies. Naturally, a tie to the external CEDEF would be like striking gold."

The brunette paused for a minute, just to remind himself to keep walking and breathing normally.

'It's not the time to panic, dammit' he thought, frustrated that his breathing got quicker.

'Come on! Pull yourself together! I'm not going to be a Mafia Boss like that Brunette identity thief!'

There it was, in front of him, a sleek, gleaming private jet. It was an experience Tsuna would pay any amount to avoid ever facing.

'A 24-hour cage with these guys?' he heard clicks and his pulse quickened as he remembered seeing the guns surrounding the adult version of him in a white room. Not to mention they were inside the pure white hangar with an equally white jet.

'I want to puke.'

Blood rushed as he saw that they were just checking their guns and its safety mechanisms for a checkup.

'I can't understand why would Tsunayoshi give his whole life to protect people from the Mafia. I can't live in this kind of environment for the rest of my life.'

* * *

Then a calm washed over him as a resolution filled his consciousness.

'If I can't get rid of that card by the time I reach Namimori... This time...

I won't fail a suicide attempt. I won't chicken out like I always do since all I have to do is pull the trigger.'

"Hey, from the Estraneo incident, I've lost my gun. Do you have an extra?

Don't worry, I won't be using it to betray you guys. My dad already got informed of what happened in Estraneo. The deal's sealed, so it wouldn't make any sense for me to pull any triggers."

'Well it's true that dad would get to know about the Estraneo, but not my existence, if Gesso is as sharp as I think he is. It would harm his famiglia since I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.'

They looked a bit reluctant, but they threw a gun over to him.

Tsuna could feel his heart in his throat as his stomach felt like it could sink into the depths of oceans, as he woozily thought.

'A headshot could never fail me.

Who's gonna be dragged into missions as a favor? If my imagination serves me true... I'm gonna be dragged into the Mafia world with the promise of exposure into the life of a Vongola.'

He looked into his current world detached, seeing the stairs descend and he threw his card towards a slightly dazed guard, and as he hoped... the guy shot at it reflexively.

Then successive sounds of the safety being released resonated through the building and Tsuna shivered. But he had to continue the charade.

"Hey, it's just my card. I threw it to you since it would hurt my palms, remember, they're burnt?"

The other relaxed slightly and despite feeling suspicious eyes on him, he continued.

"Ah. Was it too sudden? Sorry about that."

"You're to keep it with you until the end of the flight so that you won't lose it by the end of the flight."

'Damn. So that plan's a failure huh? Then Plan B.'

"Then could you bandage my hand and give me gloves? Civilians tend to get shaky when they see bandages."

Hearing a grunt of approval, Tsuna released a breath of relief.

'Now the window of opportunity would lie in the plane flying in altitudes with fewer chances of communication monitoring.'

"How about we go through the route from the Netherlands, then to Finland to gulf coast through the Meghalaya of India to reach Japan if it's not too much trouble?

Byakuran-san told me that agents would communicate directly to me for the information I should pass to the headquarters. You see, I couldn't stay long enough in the Gesso quarters to complete negotiations."

'Well, that's a lie. Gesso wanted me out because of Hibari and most probably to prevent information leak to the CEDEF, since my very presence in Italy would be a liability to the Gesso famiglia.

But anyway, since Gesso wasn't trusting these guys I can feed them any amount of half-truths and lies to get away with things since communication can get one sided

And these guys would say that they chose the route to allow communication to flow smoothly, and they would interpret it as the airway passage caused interference and wouldn't report it to the higher-ups.

If that isn't the case...' the weight in his slacks made him gulp.

With woolen gloves snugly fit into his hands, Tsuna hoped for the best for the second part of the plan as he muttered praise for the card's ability to stay in one piece despite the fact that a bullet shot right at it.

When he entered the plane and sat in the midst of two burly men, he tried his best to ignore feeling claustrophobic and started rubbing his hands commenting that the AC was too cool for a person like him who stayed in a tropical country like Japan.

Then the plane took off and Tsuna hoped that the plane wouldn't crash because of the route he chose to get his plan to work.

The brunette ignored his brain as he flinched with every rub and tried to engage in small talk to keep the men from observing his behavior too deeply.

* * *

When the first turbulence washed over the jet, Tsuna felt his lips tip towards a smirk.

And as if right on cue, an announcement rang over the aisles.

"We will experience some turbulence since the jet has maneuvered into thunderclouds. Please do not panic and stay calm during the series of turbulences."

'Now, to begin the sabotage of the card due to unfortunate circumstances.'

He rolled a sleeve back during turbulence with his teeth as he synched himself to a fall, and during the next turbulence, with his arm shouldering his card he moved his dry, woolly glove towards the bullet dent (as shallow as it was) and felt a sharp tingle on his arm.

'Now with that static electricity, the card's done for with lightning to blame'

The turbulences got worse with time and the cabin lights had to be switched off and he felt people shoving him from both sides due to the harsh rocking and he allowed himself to fall forward and bump his head directly at the seat in front of him.

The impact was harsh and Tsuna could feel himself lose consciousness, but he could also feel his card slip out of his slack's pocket.

The next moment he woke into consciousness, he found himself in Namimori grounds. The first thing he did was do a full body check to see if he had any card on him and felt a rectangular shape in his bag and disappointment well into him.

Fishing the card out, he grumbled to himself.

'It was... just my Namimori ID card.'

He let out a deep breath and spread out in the lawn near the Namimori shrine he was left at.

'It doesn't really make any difference that I'm in Namimori or I'm at Italy' he thought darkly.

'Hibari already heard that I was at a Mafia famiglia from Gesso. That guy would have probably told him about my relation to the Vongola. If that demon prefect didn't believe him with the pictures, then he'd have investigated and figured I helped out an illegal immigrant Mafia associate from the Bovino famiglia' Tsuna gripped himself into a hug to protect himself from the fear encompassing him.

* * *

Tsuna always knew... that it took only one person, to bring people to believe that what they could do to someone was completely acceptable.

After all, that was how he was bullied.

One day, someone called him out publicly and jeered at him, teasingly, mockingly, affectionately gave him a nickname, justifying it. Then it started with small shoves, talks and whispers, giggles at his expense. Then followed his belongings shuffled out of its place as if people decided he or his things didn't belong there. Because he didn't meet their standards. Because he couldn't pick things the way they could. Because the constant jeering and contempt made him too nervous to speak properly. Because the constant pulling the rug from his feet made him be too self-deprecating to make people like him. Because the constant craving for recognition made them find him an attention whore.

Then the feeling of burning tear glistened eyes, feelings of rocks lodged in his stomach and throat became his normal... as he lived a life he couldn't feel was that of a living breathing human fledgling.

People found it acceptable that he could have anything done to him, including having his pants stripped out of him in front of everyone in class, only to get the nickname of piggy since he folded and shriveled into himself in burning shame as the children laughed merrily.

He found that if his body, traumatized by the aspect of going back to class got him a fainting spell, he was called sleeping beauty. He found that if his stomach protested against the bugs his classmates got for him when his box 'mysteriously vanished' in the form of a puddle as large as the ones his tears made, he'd be called gero-chan.

He found that he couldn't give back his assignment question papers back to the teachers since they tore after being soggy from his tear ducts that could for some reason never stop even though everyone around him scolded, screamed, shouted at him for being such a crybaby.

Then somehow, it became weird for people to actually care about him. Since the ones who tried, later on in the years somehow came to him and apologized before completely ignoring him from the next day, or somehow disappear from the school. It also made his skin tingle uncomfortably when people didn't hurt him since he'd be left in locked spaces he thought everyone would assemble in.

And somehow, all his budget got spent in first aid kits and materials his mom bought him... and his eyes that lingered on toys, and new things his classmates bought... remained lingering over them.

And then later, he finally got friends! And it was very painful... but he was used to it, but he realized that they lost interest and left him alone when they weren't stressed or they finished de-stressing. And that was no good. So he manipulated to grow their range a bit because as everyone claimed, he was an attention whore...

And before the summer vacation, his lips stretched to both sides in an upside down manner from what he had experienced in his life and he felt something he didn't want to let go off yet. It was something he could beg for if they wanted him to since his old 'friends' made him do that for their precious company.

And now... since Gesso revealed unnecessary things to Hibari, he would bite him to death... and then everyone would get the OK to continue what they did before.

But Tsuna...

Tsuna wanted a bit more time in that dreamland... and he knew he was selfish to ask of that... and from observation, he remembered Yamamoto who went with the flow, so he wouldn't do something stupid like be the only one to be his friend in the town since that was how people 'mysteriously disappeared' from the town.

'I've always felt that when people get born in this world, you can determine whether they're a winner or loser from one thing' he thought as big fat teardrops fell from his eyes.

'It was the ability to choose

Since for people like me, things are chosen for us and we have no right to refuse or no opportunity to refuse

Since people like Yamamoto could refuse to have something done to them and get their opinion listened to.'

He couldn't move from his spot, his body didn't want to face the music. If he could drown in his fantasies, he would. Wait, he still had the gun-

Suddenly, he heard footsteps shuffling hurriedly towards him as bushes scrunched loudly and his heart beat loudly muting his surroundings.

Two figures broke into his field of view, one sweating and the other breathing fast. Almond colored eyes pinpointed his prone figure just as violent eyes flared at his sight.

"Tsuna! We finally found you! We've been searching all over for you today!" Yamamoto shouted gleefully as his posture slackened instantly, moving closer to the brunette.

"Hibari's committee member told me that they spot suspicious people leaving the shrine, but they lost track of them." the jock tried explaining their presence to calm the brunette down a bit looking at his tense form.

Hibari, on the other hand, marched straight towards him and squatted, forcibly removing the gloves and the bandages and glared with so much malice, Tsuna wished he could bring up his courage and tail out of there. Yamamoto's expression didn't lessen that feeling.

'This is it.

It's all over'

"I'll bite them to death."

"Hibari-san, we already run them out of town. It's pointless to track them down and teach them another lesson since the last one already got them prostrating to the ground."

Yamamoto ran a finger over the burnt skin, earning a hiss from the brunette making his eyes dim a dark brown.

"Sorry, Tsuna... We weren't there when you were in trouble. I knew that I should have forcibly brought you along for our vacation if this was to happen..." he said angrily.

"It was an oversight for the discipline committee to leave the forest alone. It was used for trafficking and other illicit activities." Hibari growled, a dark aura seeping all over the area.

The prefect towered over the brunette's frame.

"I've received information from an irritating marshmallow. How much of it's true?" his eyes gleamed in a way that promised punishment for any lie or misdirection.

"It's true"

Then Hibari's eyes shone menacingly and he spoke-

"Don't think I left you off the hook from misusing the system I established in Namimori. But that would come after I bite those herbivores to death for encroaching what I protect."

Tsuna looked at the prefect in shock until the taps at his shoulder directed his attention towards the jock.

"Seriously Tsuna, you get yourself into really big trouble. I'm just letting you know in advance, that's gonna be the last time things go this bad. From next time, I'll be here facing a pissed Hibari-san with you covered in bruises, ahahahaha."

Hibari looked at Yamamoto in irritation and clicked his tongue as he reluctantly accepted that the other would be lingering around both of them. He turned to Tsuna.

"As for the punishment, you would be the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, seeing how easily you exploit the flaws of the system. You will correct them, right?" he threatened.

"Heh?! What about you Hibari-san?!"

"As the new Hibari head, Namimori is already under my jurisdiction. I don't need an official title to keep an eye on the town. Besides, I'm working on establishing a network to monitor activities that 'influence' Namimori" he said side glancing the brunette making him anxious about how much he knew.

"I refuse." it slipped before he could rein himself in. He tensed preparing himself to be bitten for disobedience, but it never came.

Hibari just boredly suggested an alternative,

"You either do that or form a Vigilante group, seeing how much you like getting people out of trouble, going how far you go to direct every rage to yourself."

Yamamoto perked at that and piped in,

"Hey, that sounds pretty interesting. Since you're a trouble maniac, we could be like a ragtag group of superheroes.

Prepare for trouble, make it double-"

"That's a villain's line! And I don't search for trouble."

"Right... tsundere.

Since I don't hear you complaining about the idea, let's make one."

'I can't even manage my own problems, and you want me to help others?

… Well... I've never tried that out. I wonder how that will play out? I wonder if it'll matter' he thought, remembering laughter from all sides and wondering if there is anyone who'd like it if the worst, most stupid, weakest and most worthless person in Namimori, Dame-Tsuna helped them?

But leaving that aside, amidst the one-sided cheer from Yamamoto, the stoic attitude of Hibari the peace he felt made him wonder...

If this was what it felt like to be home?


	10. Lost treasure part 1

**Chapter 10**

**You never know what you had until you lost it. Part 1**

Even though people feared Hibari as the ultimate tyrant of Namimori, the title whispered by the residents of the town, most of the actual action was taken by the coordinator of his direct orders, Kusakabe Tetsuya. The ex-delinquent was in charge of the town when the demon went out for meeting the collaborators of the Hibari family (more like their slaves since it made some sense that the family of a tyrant would be tyrants) and that was during the Namimori vacation.

Kusakabe looked over the reports from the committee members that were on rounds and the faculty attendance reports to check if the numbers matched up. His eyes fell on the names of those who didn't go on the trip.

'Irie Shoichi, Yamamoto-san and Tsuna-san only, huh? The Yamamoto family went on a trip and Irie Shoichi was witnessed at the Namimori super-mart...

I remember Tsuna-san being invited to come along to their family trip...

So he's probably there.'

There was something niggling his mind but he shrugged it off.

'Tsuna-san should have changed since he has Kyo-san and Yamamoto-san with him now...

Also, the security in town is carefully guarded and nothing suspicious can be carried out.'

The teen frowned, chastising himself for being paranoid.

'I guess his first impression hasn't rubbed off me.'

He turned to his desk and typed out a summary of the state of the town to email the prefect and when his fingers typed out Tsuna's status his eyes lingered on the screen for seconds longer before he looked over the email and hit send.

The town was pretty peaceful and rounds ended smoother than it normally did and it made Kusakabe feel confident that his worries were merely paranoia.

'If the town's this peaceful, Tsuna-san shouldn't be here.

Since for better or worse, he's a trouble magnet. Maybe that's why Kyo-san is fond of him.'

Since it was the vacations, Hibari had entrusted him with the task of finding people to upgrade the means for better security.

And the DC committee found it in the form of a young redhead Irie Shoichi and enlisted him to help them since the lad was good at robotics. His background was checked and a report was sent to the prefect who only glared at it, but Kusakabe didn't let it discourage him since the other pretty much glared at anything and everything.

In the end, the DC-committee vice head took it as approval and made a request to make hibird bots for surveillance to which the redhead was surprisingly gung-ho about.

Kusakabe made hot tea in the DC club room while waiting for the inventor to arrive and was a bit startled to see a drowsy Irie holding a box as he clamored into the table babbling pleasantries.

Suspicion flashed into his brain as he remembered Hibari's glare as he was a bit startled to see someone so willing to help the committee's cause.

"The Hibird bots are still at its prototypes and this is just to give a preview on things it could do so that the committee members can change the design based on their needs."

Temporarily distracted by the lifelike similarity of the bot to the real deal, he forgot his trail of thought and leaned closer to pay attention.

The day ended with a teen awed at the prowess of technology and in fact, the teen was so awed he allowed the other to conduct several test runs around the town to gather data for a manual on what they could and couldn't do.

The week rolled over to the weekends and the Elvis-wannabe as Yamamoto playfully quipped started a video call with the prefect to discuss issues. Hibari's sharp eyes ran over the teen and he straightened up by fractions as he waited for the prefect to begin his questions.

"There were more hibirds than usual in the security footage for the week."

Hibari had personally trained the birds surprising the committee. They hadn't known he was soft for small animals and it was bizarre how he could identify each of them with the other.

"Irie Shoichi had made them for surveillance."

He could see Hibari frown and he hurried to justify the action.

"We took a complete background check-"

"But you still let him make them without sending the footage he took when testing them?"

"The bots didn't have a memory-capturing feature when he was explaining it to me..." he trailed off when he saw the surprised expression the other had when he asked the question.

"...Kyo-san, was there something in the background check we left out?" he asked partly hurt that the prefect didn't trust their check. The other just quirked his eyebrow as he returned the question with another question.

"I had doubts after reading the report you sent."

"It didn't seem like anything unusual. We even took a personal interview with the Irie's parents to make sure we got a trustworthy person."

"..."

After that, the only responses Hibari made with the summation of the events were clipped and it worried the ex-delinquent, but he remained silent keeping in mind to make another background check when the call ended.

Hibari looked at his computer contemplating the information given to him. It was clear as day that Kusakabe thought he felt doubt towards the redhead, that the other elaborated in detail whatever Irie did. The demon prefect glared at the profile given to him as he weighed the prospect of telling his speculations to his assistant. But if it was one thing he hated, it was misleading people with incomplete or false information.

A video was sent with the committee members interviewing the redhead's parents.

He remembered each line they spoke after watching it for 4-5 times.

"Our Shoichi finally started thinking about the future seriously. He stopped practicing on instruments. We would have supported him, but he didn't have any talent in music... We were worried, but it turned out fine. It seemed like one day, he finally realized the truth and started doing something that would be great for future prospects."

It was not only the sudden change from liking music to robotics that piqued his interest, but it was also how his tastes shifted towards white clothes. He didn't believe that people could change easily, but then some people did and he didn't have anything concrete to tie Irie as a plausible enemy of Namimori.

* * *

But, it was like his worries didn't stop there. The next day, Kusakabe left messages that the testimony of Nana Sawada didn't match with the situation of Namimori.

He sat irritated, as the video call started and the other rushed to explain everything.

"We reached the Namimori household as one of the bots crashed there during a failed test run. Then as she passed the bot to us, she commented 'You committee members would have the 2 months as busy as ever, especially since the yearly trip got canceled this year.'

Sawada Tsunayoshi wasn't found in Namimori and we haven't got the contact number of the Yamamotos to call them during the vacation..."

Hibari had assumed they checked with them before giving the report to him, but to think that it was all based on assumptions...

He gritted his teeth, fury seeping through his body and ignored the frantic stream of apologies from his assistant as he hung up the call to give a message to Yamamoto, being in touch as a result of their mutual friendship to Sawada Tsunayoshi. He got an immediate reply from the jock and as expected, it wasn't any good.

His mood was slipping into darker territories since he knew of the shenanigans the brunette got into for 'fun'. Seeing that Yamamoto's following messages turned more and more frantic, He the situation into simple terms.

"Tsunayoshi lied about going to the trip to his mom and lied to you about staying at home so that the ends at his side are tied, seeing that his mom would never believe that her family is falling apart and you would tell me that he's holing up at his place since we've both seen him do that enough to not be suspicious."

The reply was instant-

"Not again!"

He didn't need to be told the obvious and he knew he had to find the brunette and pronto. The brunette's actions often lead to the more chaotic aspects of his town being revealed.

Thankfully, he finished with his work there for the moment and could return to the town. He'd need to be there to sort the train-wreck that was Sawada Tsunayoshi.

So he reached Namimori in a few days while being given reports that ended the search of the brunette in failure.

His frustration was in the peaks when he entered the town and was promptly surprised by Yamamoto's appearance. Noticing his expression, the other elaborated,

"Well, you weren't replying to my messages and I got worried" He grinned and reached to his pocket and showed a picture and it seemed like the chairman couldn't catch a breath.

"I asked a friend who asked the uncle of another friend. Well, this uncle owns a pub and he takes pictures of people who sit at a place for a long time without doing much... You know, act suspiciously.

I was surprised that Tsuna was in a place like that. He even disguised for that. Our place also had sake for the customers. If he wanted to try out the stuff, he could have asked us, ahaha."

Despite his light tone, he knew that there was something else. They both knew, from past experiences. When the brunette did sneaky, it was for the more interesting, more darker things.

Yamamoto thought that Hibari would be investigating the bar with the DC committees but then he noticed the intense stare he gave him like he was being expected to do something.

'Well what do you know... Never thought there'll be a day when Hibari-san would want me to help out. I guess it's 'cos I'm the one in contact with the witness.'

He moved in the direction of the pub and words flew from his mind from the excitement, the surprising reveal brought him.

"Ahaha, I never thought that Hibari-san and I would be walking together like this on an investigation. Then, if you're Sherlock, can I be Watson?"

The prefect didn't reply and spent the time observing his surroundings, not that the jock minded.

'He's as serious about Namimori... I guess it's more because it involves Tsuna in this case. It'd be better if we find him soon. I got a bad feeling about this...

Then we could go back to those days of having lunch in the school roof and having fun...' his smile stilled for a moment as worry crept into his mind.

Pushing aside any bad scenarios he flung the bar door open and laughed away the glare the prefect sent him for his callousness.

The pub owner seemed to be unfazed by his flashy entrance, being used to his demeanor but his face turned pale when he saw the baseball lover's, ahem, friend. The friend who raised his tonfa as warning against any forms of protest.

Hibari spoke for the first time since their walk there,

"Where is he?"

The owner wasn't a fool. He knew about the lad who had gotten the favor of the demon of Namimori, and his body stiffened in panic as his eyes darted to the only friendly person in the room. Yamamoto showed a sympathetic smile towards the man as he spoke out,

"Maa, maa, Hibari-san. You're scaring him"

It didn't change how Hibari changed his stance towards the other, but Yamamoto continued since it'd bring the scared man's attention towards him as a friendly ally.

"Owner-san, we've been searching for a friend of ours. It's the teen in the photo you've captured. Do you know where he'd have gone or who he had gone with?" he said as he purposefully darted his eyes to the prefect.

The man followed his eyes and felt the subconscious threat from the possibility of angering the chairman of Namimori and spoke the information Yamamoto knew that he had, since the fame of Sawada Tsunayoshi (well it was anybody who garnered Hibari protection) was widespread.

Since there was no reason to take photos of suspicious people in the bar... but there were people who wanted to sabotage his only friend...

Adding to the fact that Hibari-san wanted his location...

It was killing two birds with one hand, even if it was mean spirited.

"H-he had gone out with a small green haired boy. I-I-I couldn't get a good shot of him. I-if I did, I would have definitely shown it to you, I swear!" he whimpered, but the prefect wasn't having any of that.

"Give me all the photos you've taken on that night" his glare was a clear message that he didn't buy that the picture taking wasn't taken nefariously.

'Geez... Hibari-san is too honest. These kind of things are better hidden' It was the kind of trick he used to gain favors or string people along his rides.

When they finished asking the people around the bar and the people who were there at the night of the incident, Yamamoto piped up.

"Hibari-san. Can I also come along to help search?" he bowed a little to emphasize the request, his face schooling into a more sincere expression as his more calculating side appeared. Hibari stared intensely at his slightly sharper gaze, the only thing which gave out his harmless facade.

'I figured that Hibari-san would notice the important details.'

"Hn."

They reached the Hibari mansion, a place that the prefect dragged Tsuna, followed by the baseball-lover who tagged along usually, for getting the brunette to implement one of the many blurted ideas (when the lad couldn't contain his sarcasm) that the demon fancied.

(Woe is Namimori)

It was a bit lonelier since the guy who played glue in their relationship was missing.

When Yamamoto entered Hibari's room, he reached the main point of conversation.

"So Hibari-san, do you know what kind of kid followed Tsuna?"

Kusakabe entered the room with tea just then.

"Kyo-san, I brought tea since I heard you returned-" and looked surprised at their new guest.

"Yamamoto-san? What brings you here? If you're here... Then Tsunayoshi-san-!" his face brightened up instantly, only to sober by the abrupt sentence the prefect said,

"He's still missing."

the other continued, hoping to clear up the situation.

"We found a lead. Tsuna was at a bar and met a kid. The people there saw them both catch up on something and then they both left. The people around the town saw the two move somewhere..."

the 'Elvis-wannabe' realized the hidden meaning in there and spoke, upset;

"So Tsuna-san tricked the kid, but he must have known who he was, but it wasn't the same for the other..."

The three of them practically knew Tsuna's social life (or the lack of it) so there was no chance the two were previous acquaintances. So it only meant that Tsuna played off the acquaintance-bit to get the information he needed. But it also meant that the boy was dangerous. Since it was either Tsuna looking for danger or the other way around, unfortunately.

"But the problem is... who is he? And who is he associated with?"

Hibari looked like he had a lead for finding the kid, but he didn't comment. So the two waited until the other made a move, which he did when the Hibari parents arrived home.

The chairman directly broached the topic,

"Who is this kid?"

His father looked at the kid wearing cow patterned clothes and having an Afro, and recognition flashed in his eyes. Yamamoto thought that he would skirt around the topic, but he simply said,

"That's Bovino Lambo, from the Bovino Famiglia."

It was so simply and blandly stated like it was a mundane topic that the jock had to run the statement twice in his head to truly comprehend the weight behind it.

'Famiglia? Wait... isn't that the Italian mafia?!' his eyes wildly darted towards a shocked Kusakabe and then to a furious prefect. The shocked confusion he had on his face at the thought of such a presence being accepted in the town Hibari protected was addressed by the venomous response Hibari Kyoya spat out,

"Why do you allow them to roam here?"

His father replied, bored since he expected the question.

"It's because their target and our target ended up being the same. Those guys keep the other Mafia out of here in their gang wars, so they fight our battles and we don't have to use our forces and we can use them for other things. It's mutually beneficial. One of their heads have people they want to protect here too, even though those people are ignorant to these."

"Is it worth the price of getting the people of Namimori kidnapped?!"

That got his attention and he looked at them seriously.

"What happened?"

"We have circumstantial evidence that the child might have abducted Sawada Tsunayoshi." he said as he threw the photos on the table looking disgusted at the prospect of willingly submitting to the scum who do such atrocities.

But that changed into confusion as his father let out a shocked "Impossible". His mother peaked at the photos as she looked at them with similar confusion as she elaborated.

"But Sawada Tsunayoshi is Sawada Iemitsu's kid. He's one of the heads of Vongola, the famiglia the Bovino head candidate was supposed to meet."

The jock felt like some of the truths he considered obvious was threatening to drown him in the confusions that piled up, his expression completely unguarded for once.

'Tsuna as Mafia? There was a plan for a meeting with the Mafia members?'

"But the Sawadas shouldn't know about the father's employment. Dear, were there any rumors or documents leaked?" she continued as if his world wasn't turned upside-down.

"I've ensured that it was top secret."

Yamamoto couldn't let his mind process things properly from that point. The day passed in a blur and with the sheer ridiculousness that his normal life became, he let his imagination and desperation run wild. So he brought up a crazy idea when the three were alone.

* * *

"...How bout we check out the Namimori forest?"

Kusakabe looked at him like he had lost his head.

"It's not charted and it has high magnetic fields because of its soils' high iron content. We'd definitely get lost. Besides, no one goes there. We ensure that."

"Just like how we have Mafia lingering in this town? Rendezvousing with other famiglias? Next thing you know, my father's an ex-assassin hiding in this town and there'll be an all-powerful old man at an antique store!

For all the security the DC committee boasts off, you guys can't even notice something as big two Mafia groups meeting in a town as small as ours."

It brought out a competitive streak in Hibari as his eyes gleamed as he spoke,

"Is that a challenge I hear, herbivore?"

It could be that his sanity was on a much-needed vacation, but he stood up and loomed in a threatening fashion and rose to the taunt,

"I'm definitely going to win that game, Hibari-san."

They spiritedly left the room leaving a lamenting Kusakabe as the distraught man hid his rising headache as he began plotting countermeasures when things head south.

But the two talented youth refused his precautionary measures, waging their pride and skills as they audaciously dubbed him as a coddling mother. At this point, Kusakabe was too irritated to reason with them, having spent the half day collecting ropes and blow horns, dog whistles with a trained pack for tracking. He even bothered on getting fireworks and neon paint, only for them all to rendered useless.

"Maa maa, Kusakabe-san, don't worry so much. We'll get there somehow. Something will work out."

"But Yamamoto-san, we don't even know if there's something in the first place!"

"Ahahaha"

"Kyo-san, Yamamoto-san would end up getting lost. There's no need to follow such foolishness."

"..."

"Kyo-san? Please don't tell me you're serious?! Kyo-san?!"

It was dusk, with the sun fading away and Yamamoto moved wherever his eyes stuck towards. It was something that helped him, in his life. He would always know that something was right, but he couldn't explain why or put his reasoning in words.

So he gave up on thinking about it and instead followed his trusted intuition and then when he pushed against a curtain of leaves, he saw a new street with their inhabitants glaring or leering at him and his mind instantly started sending distress signals.

"This is a pretty shady place"

"Hn."

He turned towards the prefect, surprised at the other's sudden appearance.

"This is a clearing in the forest." the prefect said looking at the direction of the sun. It seemed to be in the direction opposite to where the first saw the sun. The jock remembered the times he saw the sunset on his way from school when he took the forest detour, which had been frequent enough to let him memorize its position. The two positions seemed to directly opposite to each other, hinting that they were at a position close to Namimori, but facing the opposite side.

Hibari seemed to be kicking up dirt, so the jock peered curiously to see what the other was up to when he said.

"The DC committee was assigned to build in a 5-inch marble tile mark under the soil which strictly marked the end of the forest."

'Yeesh! Talk about meticulous! Who knows how many km round the boundary should be...'

"Oh, so then... we're definitely somewhere in the forest huh?"

The prefect didn't deem his reply with an answer but focused on scouting the area instead. Shrugging, the jock asked milder bystander questions regarding recent events.

"Hibari-san, these guys have seen two kids get chased by yakuza."

That was when Hibari's patience seemingly snapped. Mildly peeved, the other inferred the reason for the irritation.

'I guess Namimori having yakuza was the last straw. I better not stay too close to him. The only one who stays nearby when he's at that mode is Tsuna...' he moved in the direction the two kids supposedly ran to avoid getting depressed by his own thoughts.

They reached a scorched place and when the two perceptive teens saw a burnt piece, things took a bad turn in their thought process. The air around Hibari turned chokingly tense, while any traces of a smile vanished from Yamamoto. The two had spent enough time staring at the pictures of incidence to tell who the piece of cloth belonged to.

The prefect brought out luminol from his blazer. Apparently, the prospect of a challenge wasn't enough to distract him from the ultimate goal. He sprayed it around the area of the cloth and saw faint glowing, making him glower darkly.

"What does the glowing mean?"

"Bloodstains around the time he went missing, judging by its faint glowing. But it was a large amount since the glowing is on a wide area"

Yamamoto kneeled to inspect the area closely and after sometime, found bullets scattered around. His heart felt like it was shattering. It was like it was his mother all over again...

He couldn't trust himself to speak. Then it was Hibari who put the final nail in the coffin.

"I found corpse remains that more or less match his frame amongst several."

It was uttered without the purpose Hibari usually carried himself with. It was emotionless.

Even though Yamamoto felt like an entire century passed from when he was sitting there, Hibari didn't seem to mind, as he blankly took the sight of his surroundings.

Then there was distant chatter heard and the two saw some burly, scarred men carrying guns and gunny bags around. It was as if the air had chilled to freezing points and Yamamoto shivered, as he felt something other than numbness. It then shifted it something cooler, sharper and crueler as he felt himself reaching out for the blade concealed as a shinai.

Eyes glared at them, as taunts and safety handles were unlocked with a click. Scary adults surrounded them as the two of them moved forward. Hibari bolted towards them, brandishing both tonfas with the chains he refused to use but was fascinated enough to attach when he first heard about it. It had thorns to rip flesh after latching onto skin and it brought out the screams he felt, was in dire need in this situation, especially seeing that he was hardly appropriate for the task. The tears they shed in pain as he broached deeper into dangerous territory as gunshots sang in the background, felt more appropriate.

There was a person with a fancy suit babbling some weak words, that he couldn't spare the time to listen, for all the irritating words and inappropriate smiles aimed at him which could chill his blood from imagining the situations the speaker spoke... or the twinkling his eyes adopted with another possibility and the anticipation for another day, another meet with a person who wouldn't shy away from his company... and suddenly it was ephemeral and now nothing but memories and a dream for a future that could have been...

The red that painted the room didn't affect him as deeply as the glow, the trusted liquid he had carried for different investigations ended up making his stomach clench. Or perhaps, was it from exhaustion?

On the other side of the one-sided battlefield where regardless of the outcome, there was no winner or loser, was a teen who lived with a mask. Funny enough, there was a deep bond with the person who would have been lying in a proper grave maybe alongside his if he had made that decision that day. That day he went to the deep end with someone else but got a person who wouldn't judge him, someone who tied threaded bonds around his fingers to others that ran deeper than blood. It tied him to people who he could understand and be understood in return. It brought him to place where he could be a part of, created a place where he could belong without worrying about how his eccentricities could scare those people away... Especially since their own brand of strangeness was equal to his, or sometimes, even stranger.

It brought him the burden of guilt. Regret that he didn't insist. Regret that he didn't maintain contact. Regret that he couldn't say goodbye.

He mechanically brought the gunny bags from the storage, his mind stubbornly insisting that without visual proof, it can't possibly be true. They must have been mistaken. Somewhere in these, there must be that cheeky teen that gave them the fright of their lives and was able to single-handedly make them bald due to stress.

Then they would laugh in the next morning after they spent the entire day chiding him to take precaution or at least bring them next time. Then maybe next time, they'd get burned and gunned to death together...

As it turned out, there were people in the gunny bag, but not the ones they would be glad to see. Yamamoto looked at their disturbed faces as they lay down on the ground unconscious, breathing softly and thought.

'If it was only him that had to go through all that, but these guys get to sleep peacefully like this... I wonder why did they get the right to live? What did he need to get that right? Was it something which we could have given him?'

When he felt another person behind him, he turned to look at the teen, as he stood in his entire glory and title well deserving of the demon of Namimori, fully soaked in blood, but calmer and quieter than before. The demon spoke,

"They were trafficking humans out of Namimori." he said it like it was something someone said to him. It was most likely the confessions from the souls in the scene of the bloodbath

He looked into the midnight sky shrouding them in the darkness he felt at the moment.

'I wonder if it is possible to go back in time to redo things. I'd love to do that so that I can spend a second longer with...'


	11. Lost treasure part 2

**Chapter 11**

**You never know what you had until you lost it. Part 2**

Kusakabe got briefed on the situation when they had come back from the other way, revealing a hidden way from Namimori to the clearing area. He looked at the normally happy go lucky jock who didn't speak a peep since they met at the forest entrance at the crack of dawn, and turned to look at the prefect who didn't seem as intimidating as he usually carried himself. It didn't feel appropriate to say anything at the moment.

But he couldn't help himself when Yamamoto went back to his household and they were the two in the mansion.

"Hibari-san...

I'm very sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me but-"

The prefect glared at him, but he continued on,

"If I didn't stop you from passing the Hibari family's armband to him, we could have tracked him when he reached a forbidden place-"

"I agree with your earlier decision keep him uninvolved with the Hibari family business."

"But Kyo-san! He would have been targetted, but at least, he wouldn't have to have died there-"

"Enough.

… It's already over."

It was true. There was nothing they could do, and that was where it hurt the most. Despite being from the Hibari family which was renown for their intelligence service and venerated for their strength, the two were powerless and had lost without even being given the chance to grieve.

"... What do we do now, Kyo-san?"

"I will eliminate the Mafia from Namimori. They have broken our trust and taken something that was mine."

It was a simple declaration stating something absurd.

"It's time we show them how brittle their fangs are." his eyes held a vow in them, as they burned for justice.

The week vacation ended and he had to go back to the headquarters to officially meet their direct partners. This month didn't seem to hold any fortune for Hibari Kyoya it seemed as one of his partner which he'd be meeting next was an upcoming Mafia famiglia head and he seemed to have an unfavorable opinion on them based on experiences.

So he entered the room whose aesthetics were remodeled according to the partner to a pure white which Kusakabe had no problem giving the stink eye too muttering a "It feels too pure for their tastes."

There was a white-haired man with a purple tattoo near his eye as he smiled a Cheshire grin at them, making Hibari hostile and his assistant wary.

"I'm called Byakuran Gesso. You've probably read that from the file, but a personal introduction would make our interactions much smoother."

"Hibari Kyoya"

"So then, Hibari-kun, it's nice to meet you. With that glare of yours, it makes me feel like you're judging my very soul for being what I am. Makes me wonder what kind of experience you've got to fix your impression like that~"

The prefect was mildly shocked to have been read like that. People usually took a lot of time to figure out his general moods, that is, a few selected people. Most of them behaved as mild as the herbivores they were and got scared the moment they realized they were out of their league

"We've had a long relationship and we'll be having a longer relationship. So it'll be better if we both cooperate. After all we both have common interests and it'll help me manage my... business as it'd help you manage yours"

"That cooperation will depend on what business you want on our territory"

"So cold~ What would happen if we don't exactly see... eye to eye?"

"I'll bite you to death"

"I'll keep it in mind. I personally think we might have more in common. Ooh, in fact, how bout I show you how much in common we have~" he reached for his pocket as Hibari gripped the tonfas hidden in his clothes.

* * *

He spread a manila folder on the table and opened a tagged page. It had photos which were smudged by constant touch and exposure and its contents shocked Hibari speechless.

"The lad got his hands on the main servers of the famiglia and started broadcasting the sensitive data. Even though the goal was obviously to sabotage, he should have done it smartly.

This kind of recklessly straightforward broadcasting data from the source without intermediaries will get him assassinated from their allies. It's too unnatural to make them believe that the Estraneo famiglia betrayed them."

The mafia boss observed the other as flints of relief then suspicion flashed in his eyes,

"Why are you bringing this up here? The Hibaris didn't have any mafia dealings with you lot."

"Aww, playing dumb after all that? We both know that Sawada Tsunayoshi is one of your treasures."

"I protect what's mine. That includes everything with Namimori."

"So you won't admit it, huh? Well, that's fine. I bet you want to know what happens to Namimori boy A. The situation was ideal for us, since we're rivals of Estraneo for mafia intelligence and technology.

So we... helped the poor lad a little with his little rebellion. The result of that was, the release of the prisoners, their data scrambled and corrupt across all clients and the destruction of one Estraneo famiglia."

"Why did you keep him alive?"

Byakuran gave a fox's smile as they both knew that if the Gesso had the data they could have gotten rid of the prisoners, the messenger and the data and since Hibari thought that Tsuna was dead already, the Gesso wouldn't be in danger of breaking ties.

"To play the negotiation pawn, of course~"

Instantly, Hibari was in attack mode. They were both in a precarious situation. If Byakuran used the safety of Tsuna as a bargaining chip to gain favors or command, Hibari would off him. Then the Gesso members would try gun him down and Hibari would try destroying them all, most probably with the family's forces in tow. It'd be mutual destruction.

But then he noticed something peculiar in the mafia boss's movement, so he resumed his usual posture of dominance.

Byakuran looked confused and asked the other.

"Ara? So it didn't matter if Namimori boy A dies? Aww... So it doesn't matter if I send the command to kill him off? He's a liability in our side, you know~"

"You won't be pressing it either way."

He was so sure of himself, it made the mafia boss feel pissed off enough to spite him... but then, it was true. If there was someone who wouldn't be able to hurt the lad, it'd be him and 7 others.

"... Hmph. You won that round, Hibari-kun. But, in the end, I gave you valuable information but you won't help me out in return at all?"

Seeing the indifference on the prefect's face, Byakuran prodded.

"You'll make senpai cry~ Hibari-kun, you make a better mafia than I'd ever be~"

Like clockwork, it ticked him off and the other latched on to it and said,

"Oh? You won't ever be one? Then do me a favor. An eye for an eye after all."

"Hn."

"Then let's have a bet. If I lose, I'll help Tsunayoshi-kun stay off the list of the successor of the Vongola. Now don't give me that look. We both know that if that boy hadn't known about his lineage, then he'd know it now. And we also very well know that being the next head for that would ruin him.

But If I win, whatever deal I make with him, you won't block the deal or affect it in any way."

"What deal?"

"What's the matter Hibari-kun? Scared you'll use?"

"...Depending on the deal, I'll choose whether I accept or deny."

"Hmm? You must be mistaken. Since when were you in control?"

"Keep this in mind, the dead man tells no tale. The aesthetics in this room are tailored to your desires, but the window is one-sided and the room is a faraday's cage and noise proof. You are a cornered mouse and your famiglia isn't influential enough to survive an attack now from our side."

"So scary~ But then, you have no ways to stop the second leakage of the prisoners, the one your little treasure tried his best to keep safe and you've got the underworld fast on his heels.

You can't handle Vongola yet. So it'll be a losing battle.

And mind you, I have the world's best technicians in our famiglia while you have only Giannini who's competent enough. Good luck persuading the Arcobaleno."

Hibari looked at him sharply when it seemed like he wavered in his last statement. But he figured it was fear making his voice tremble.

"Also, I was planning on throwing a freebie by reporting the status of the underworld and letting you have a squad or two to infiltrate the community... But you said you plan on killing me? Such a shame~ Such a shame, indeed."

* * *

Hibari sighed and replied,

"What's the bet?"

"I'll give a card to Tsunayoshi-kun. He'll have to keep it with him until you frisk him and get it back at Namimori. Don't worry, I'll make it easy by threatening him to keep it until he lands. If he's not excruciatingly stupid, he'd keep the card with him no matter what. Our men will carefully hand him back to you guys."

That was the thing with Sawada Tsunayoshi, the enigma. He could be extremely cunning, but he had gotten the title Dame-Tsuna somehow, right? It hinted at the possibility that the bet could fail...

"We'll provide the card an a choker to the guards. It will be electronic and will beep if it's far away from the holder. It'll beep 25 times before the choker will explode."

"So harsh~"

"It's to ensure that you don't forcibly remove the card from him or give him false instructions in between the transition. It'll also stop beeping if you stop him to retrieve the card if he dropped somewhere.

I will give you a week to retrieve it if he dropped it by himself, but he stays at a place and his location is transmitted to us. The bet is canceled if a third party gets involved, by say pickpocketing.

If he breaks it, he gets a new one and the journey is restarted to make things fair. If you guys break it, the deal's canceled. If he makes you guys or a third party break it, it's the same as him breaking it.

If all the escorts get killed in transport, we restart the bet from the starting location. If he dies, I'll bite you all to death.

You can choose to bring him alone or bring him with other people, just keep this in mind, I'll bite them to death if the other people are a threat to Namimori.

Drug him, brainwash him, damage him physically, mentally or psychologically, I'll destroy the Gesso famiglia, regardless of benefits or demerits.

The escorts of your famiglia will not know anything about his true identity, neither will his information be sold or blasphemed and spread from your side."

"Hmm. You truly care about this child, don't you? I'll protect the rules, don't worry about the bet from my side. But... the Tsunayoshi-kun I've known won't ever betray me."

"You know nothing about him."

"Whatever floats your boat.

Well then, shall we shake hands on it?"

"...Hn"

"Well then, Let the games begin."

Unable to take the smug smile the mafia boss kept on his face, the prefect turned swiftly and exited the room, hearing the parting words from the smiling marshmallow,

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you~"

He muttered in disgust-

"What an unpleasant guy."


	12. No good

A/N: Just in case things weren't clear last chapter,

Byakuran's right bout Tsuna not betraying him. It's more that Tsuna's actions ultimately makes him side with him. You'd see it in the next chapters (and probably wince or facepalm)  
The card is like the bet piece that Byakuran and Hibari are gambling on. Hibari's gambling for the safety of Tsuna by making the marshmallow lover leave him alone since he can tell the other's up to no good (at least no good when looked at straightforwardly.). Byakuran wants the other to stay out of his business to get the freedom to mess with Tsuna, so they had the little threats at each other last chapter to make the other back off.  
Hibari was trying to set up as many conditions to at least give him a wide space to try fix things in case he loses the bet, as well as try to increase his odds of winning the bet.

(Edit: Gosh. Didn't realize that I mixed up the contents. Thanks for that, Dr460NR1D3R2003 ^^)

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**No good**

The flashbacks must be annoying, huh? He shouldn't keep running back to his past. He should be focusing on the future and look ahead. But then, he couldn't help it.

The person in front of him made his stomach drop into the seabed. Metaphorically speaking.

There's a time in a person's life, where they feel that there's a saving grace or a lottery jackpot. Sometimes it's mere kindness and a smile that can be the light at the end of the tunnel. That was the kind of figure Sasagawa Kyoko meant to Sawada Tsunayoshi. The way she looked concerned when she encountered him after the groups of people put him in his place, when Hibari didn't think of him as anything as nuisance and people sensing that picked on him with a renewed purpose, when Yamamoto laughed away with his groupies as he treated him as he didn't hold any presence, physically or mentally, without any acknowledgment when he bumped into him, regardless of how battered he was.

That was probably why Tsuna felt even more scared when suddenly those two considered him as a dear friend and somehow his existence was forgiven by the people of Namimori. But he wanted to know WHY. But if he uttered it... what if they returned back to their senses?

Either way, there was one person whose behavior was constant in his life... and he was terrified of her. It's more of a reaction ingrained into him. In the end, he was scared of everything and anything... honestly, that moniker fit him the best.

He fell for the angel who felt pity for him. It was as simple as that. So he, like the creep he was...

confronted her-

Honestly... what had he been thinking? Trash like him... Either way, it became just plain hero worship, now that he thought back on it. Well, that could also be what his mind defensively placed it under.

He waited behind the school building, blushing and heating up, as he thought of a beautiful delusion. His sweat pooled in his armpits and made the letter soaked, and he was positive he stunk despite taking a shower more than five times that day. He had a bouquet of blue irises, hoping to show her exactly how much hope and faith that everything will be all right, the cute lion bandages (which made him feel Natsu covered him to heal him), the reassuring smiles, the sympathetic smiles and apologies like as if she was the one who...

He even left a box of chocolates in her locker, so that even if she doesn't show up, maybe... her day might be a bit sweeter? How presumptuous.

But she showed up! But he had to show her his best characteristic, being an absolute loser. Well, at least it showed her what to accept ahaha...

He stuttered, his smile twitched above what was normal and he wheezed through his desperate thanks for giving him time from her life.

She had a foot towards the exit the enter time. But that detail never stuck in his mind. In fact, his mind was a center of chaos at that point and his heartbeat screamed louder than his voice, and now that he thought about it, he must have been screaming the whole time. No wonder she clenched her arms close to her body and frowned throughout the entire confession.

He just wanted to ask her to go out with him formally, but then he had to trip. But he wanted to reach out to her for some help, something she had been willing to give to him freely. But his outstretched hand as he crawled to a better position must have been creepy to her.

He didn't want her to bolt out of there. He wanted any response. He might have been a bit too desperate for a chance. He must have seemed overbearing, like big baggage. So he did what he had been doing for pretty much living for another day.

He prostrated himself in a dogeza as his voice quivered. Nothing was going as he thought it would go.

He just wanted to let her know how much she had saved him. That maybe, just maybe, they could be something more?

"I'm sorry *sobs*. I never planned on doing this much.

Kyoko-chan...

Will you please *hic* go out with me?"

There was suddenly laughter surrounding them. People popped out off windows for his first-class clown act. People snickered from the bushes, near the buildings. He felt claustrophobic amidst the flares of camera shots, video captures of his sad excuse of a confession.

He remembered seeing a mortified Sasagawa Kyoko, her ears as red as his and it was the closest she could feel to him.

She hadn't said a word during the conversation, and wouldn't say a thing to him until middle school after the disastrous vacation. But because he was dame, because he realized that he was the type of thing someone would hide in their closet of past embarrassments, he must have been the blight in the madonna's pristine, gorgeous life. Aah... what would he give to have it that good?

Maybe it was because of his petty vindictiveness, it felt like it was the only saving part of what happened next.

Because as she left him to the wolves, running away from something, he felt, was much worse than what they both had faced that day. That people could have been much more ruthless than the supposed bad guys from the films his dad watched. Or maybe that was just him being biased as the target of the jeers, taunts, kicks, harassment. After all, the internet called people like him as losers with a persecution complex. But the bruises were there and constant and even though the kindness she showed him felt like an illusion (Who are you kidding? That's what any sane person would do. No one wanted to get involved in what they did to him), he could only pray that the confiscated phones from the incidents from the DC committee had those pictures and videos wiped before they came into the world's scrutiny.

Because in this ever-changing world, constancy was good. Constancy was familiar.

So he could not have his mother figure out the truth. He unhealthily depended on her smiles, her view of what the world was.

Sometimes he yearned that he lived in that world. Because unlike the him who had a Hibari and a Yamamoto who cared for him but never put it in words, but rewarded him in constant companionship, were people who didn't give him verbal or written proof that they wouldn't back off if things got rough;

The Tsuna in Nana's vision went on sleepovers, went on summer camps, played youthful games in riverbanks, noogied each other playfully and did stuff like buy manjus on the way back from school with playful banters. Sometimes it felt like his two companions kept things from him, but they forgave him for all the things he kept from them without needing him to apologize for it. They understood the things he wanted to hide, the wool he needed to pull over people's eyes and helped him in doing so. It was his treasure, it wasn't an ideal vision. But things were not bad, not bad at all.

It made him think, if he ever figured what illusion they had of him to keep this beautiful thing they had going on, he'd reinforce it.

* * *

But then Sasagawa Kyoko approached him in their first day of middle school, some months before his identity-thief would meet with the devil spawn (He wished that the baby would have gotten assassinated before that. What? He knew he was terrible- but his impression of the Mafia was pretty bad, given his experience)

She stood over his table when it was recess and they were unfortunately classmates. His eyes scanned the room for the other person who made the time hell for him, her loving, overprotecting brother... and there he was.

Sasagawa Ryohei entered the pretty much empty room and before she uttered whatever she wanted to say,

"Kyoko! I was searching for you! Are you sure you want to say anything to him? After all he did to you?" he asked worriedly before facing him like the hero he was regarded as back then, and Tsuna wanted to cry all over again, trauma flooding him. Things were going so well! Was everything going to change back to what happened before? Even if Yamamoto cared about him, she was regarded with the same reputation as he had, and people came to her aid especially when her brother raised the stakes.

"Not cool man! You made my little sister cry."

"If you're a real man, show me your conviction with your fists. So stop sniveling like you're the one who got hurt by this."

"Do you even know how much her classmates tease and gossip because of how you harassed her?! She's not able to smile lately."

"Sawada! Haven't you had enough from junior high?!"

He looked at his bandaged fist closer to him and he clattered far back into his seat.

Yes, he had enough from junior high. Enough that his mother thought he had been in his rebellious stage since his fingers couldn't grip onto his first aid box's white bandages when the boxer got into fights with him when his beloved sister started getting into depression because of the relentless verbal teasing. His tears went unheard as mercy was useless as his feet. The constant complaints and hysterics of his mother when he reached home didn't help him. He constantly had his body clutched close together as he tried to block all sources of noise. It was at that moment he needed the bleach suicide to work and it needed a lot of planning, but the end was near. He felt like the worst scum since his thought spitefully accused his crush of getting the better end of the stick since right now, his bullies had a justified reason to make his life a living hell.

Before he let a whimper, the white bandages retreated and a bewildered Tsuna looked at what happened. Yamamoto looked at the boxer darkly and gave him a small reassuring smile as he moved towards his side and slung an arm over his shoulders, making Tsuna take a much-needed breath. He hadn't realized he was close to hyperventilating.

"Ryohei-senpai, am I interrupting something? Tsuna and I have plans with Hibari, right now."

and his savior even gave him and escape route. Eager to get away, he nearly jumped from his seat but Kyoko had to intervene-

"Wait! Yamamoto-kun, I just want to have a talk with Sawada-kun." her brother looked a bit miffed, but he let it go muttering something to himself. But Yamamoto wasn't going to take it and proceeded to give her one of the most patronizing smiles he ever saw him giving anyone. And suddenly, it felt like it wasn't a vicious cycle. This time, he got people in his side.

"Then Kyoko-chan, you can tell it here itself. It's not something that has to be said privately to him right?"

She looked a bit troubled, but she took in a breath and spoke before her brother could protest-

"Sawada-kun, I just wanted to tell you that, regardless of what happened before... Let's let bygones be bygones. I hope we can get along together from this year."

"...Yeah

...Same here, Sasagawa-san."

"Really?! That's awesome! There's no need for formalities. I hope we can be as close as we were before … that. So you can call me Kyoko-chan like you did."

"... Aw c'mon Sasagawa-chan. If I did that then Yamamoto-kun won't stop teasing me. But, I'm glad we could talk like this again. I always wanted to apologize about how things went back then. But then things went completely out of my hands back then. I was too cowardly to make an action back then, so I'm sorry about that." he said schooling himself into a worried smile. He could feel the jock's disapproving smile, but he ignored it.

The boxer broke into a wide grin at that and slapped him in the back (and Tsuna forced himself to stop his knees from buckling down)

"Oh, what? It was like that? Then that's extremely alright with me!

It takes a real man to admit to his mistakes like that! But Tsuna, you have to train more. You almost fell from a small push like that Ahahaha" his boyish grin and stance were so genuinely open that Tsuna couldn't help feeling envious. To be so forgiving and honest... It would be nice if he was also like that. Maybe then, he'd be able to appreciate what he had and could leave old grudges behind...

The arm that pressed minutely grounded him to reality and he realized that he was really getting down over this, and had to get away from the conversation right now.

"I'll think over it, Sasagawa-senpai and give my reply. But thank you very much for the advice. So then, Sasagawa-chan, I'll be going now. Let's catch up later over, maybe cakes. There's a new cafe and people have recommended it to me, so it'll be nice if we could try some and see how true the rumors are."

Her eyes glowed and she gleefully agreed, popping in closer to grip his hands for a handshake. The baseball lover dragged him out of the classroom to see a Hibari leaning over the wall near its entrance. The hallway was empty because of the literal demon incarnate, and Tsuna shouldn't think this, but he was glad he didn't have to keep up the charade. But now that his mask was ripped off, he could only feel choked up.

When they reached the terrace. Hibari climbed up the ladder to the elevated platform on the roof, proceeding to sleep. Then Tsuna didn't have to feel afraid that the older would see him cry and scorn him, and his banks broke and tears flooded down his cheeks.

Yamamoto gave his shoulder company but didn't say anything and it felt like if this was what friends were like, it made sense that his imposter treasured them like that.

When the bell rang and Hibari headed ahead of them, the jock spoke for the first time since they headed there.

"You don't have to keep in contact with her. I could make sure that your paths don't cross."

'But then that baby would make sure I meet her, in underwear too. Her brother's going to have another reason to hate me. It won't happen, but I need to take precautions. I can change my mind if Reborn doesn't show up.'

"I'll be fine, Yamamoto."

Noticing the lack of honorifics, the other gaped and Tsuna gave him a soft smile. The other was in a great mood for the rest of the day.

* * *

Things Tsuna planned never went well. In fact, sometimes, he expected Yamamoto or more like Hibari come down on him and threaten him to stop trying to do anything since nothing ever went well.

So the plan to make a somewhat decent relationship with the Sasagawa siblings if and **if** that gun totting baby comes at his door met its first obstacle as one Kurokawa Hana, a no bullshit type girl. That kind of balance is needed if her friend was the airhead he had knew from back then.

She wasted no time in giving suspicious glares when he pretended to be friendly with the two,

"Sawada. What are you pulling after all this time?"

'Well it's obviously my social life and it's not even like I'm planning on being friends with you guys. I just want to be a friendly classmate, so throw me a damn bone and I won't bother with you guys.'

he threw a silent plead at Yamamoto. He wasn't an expert at these things. But that dude, bless him, blended in smoothly looping an arm over his shoulders while piping in,

"Are you guys forming a study group for the surprise test? Can I join? Man, Nezu-sensei will finally roast my hide, ahahaha."

"Yamamoto? When were you so close to Dame-" she wavered when he threw a glare at her for the nickname. She looked at her friend as to show his expression but was taken aback to find her glaring back at her.

"Hana-chan, don't call Tsuna-kun that. Oh! Sorry Sawada-kun, I accidentally called you like I used too-"

"Don't worry Sasagawa-san, you can call me by whatever you like."

Hana muttered "I can't believe you think you can go back to how you guys were. He didn't act like this before. At least he was more honest back then. Now he's plain creepy."

'Like I would go back to how vulnerable I was back then.'

"Can you teach me this stuff? Sometimes I feel like Nezu-sensei is purposefully picking me only~ I can't even keep my eyes open for the stuff he says. I think I know more on his university than his subject."

"Hehe, I know right. Hana-chan helps me out so we have the proper notes for the class. You can leave it to us! Let's work hard."

The class ended with Kyoko looking at Tsuna exasperatedly as he couldn't register anything in his brain. He looked at his desk determinedly, mortified. His friend asked him,

"What part did you not get, Tsuna? We can look at each part and find a way to learn things that can suit you."

Would it make them think he was a huge loser if he said whatever they said flew right past him? This wasn't a good idea. He remembered how his classmates would look at him in irritation as they asked, utterly appalled at how dumb a human could be to not get it.

"At least that part of you hasn't changed. You were always dumber than a monkey."

He shook at the words.

"Hey Hana-chan, if you call everyone who doesn't get what you say a monkey-"

"Even if I said that to you, you get things if you pay attention... I refuse to believe that trying is pointless. I hate Nezu's elitist attitude." she looked at him square in his eyes, daring him to look away.

Tsuna kept away from actively participating in the conversation, not willing to think deeply into what she suggested which was pretty easy since Yamamoto took over and became the main focus of the conversation.

Sawada looked out of the window to distract himself from the tediousness of classes and noticed a stare lingering in his direction. It was a clash with destiny seeing Mochida Kensuke and thank goodness, his line of focus wasn't at him, but rather the person behind him, Sasagawa Kyoko.

His eyes were giddy with a delusion that matched how he looked once upon a time.

'I wonder if this was one of the signs that pertained towards that Sawada's kendo match? Better not put my nose into it. Besides if that happened... It's none of my business and besides, she had prior experience dealing with a creep. I doubt he could outshine mine.

This Sasagawa Ryohei would never want to have anything to do with him in this lifetime. I don't know what would he do to me if I end up confessing to her in my underwear. Once was more than enough.

Besides she also has Hana. She wouldn't leave her helpless.'

His shoulder was tapped on and he whipped himself out of his thoughts. Sasagawa Kyoko beamed at him and pointed at a Hana and Yamamoto near the door.

"Tsuna-kun, I'll be cashing in on the rain check!" she tugged him out from his seat and it took him several blinks to realize that she meant his half-assed promise.

On the way back he saw several kendo members walking at the opposite street, joyfully bantering and for an instant, he saw a red-cheeked haughty Kendo captain with the vice-captain pointing a finger at them, no, not at them... but at Kyoko.

"Tsuna. You look troubled. Did Mochida say something?"

The brunette looked at his companion in shock, not expecting a close eye on him.

"...No. It's nothing. I just didn't expect to see him going this route."

"Well, it's a part of the kendo team's jogging practice."

Hana chipped in, snorting derisively.

"Kyoko and I always walk this way when we want to try some new sweets. I'm sure that monkey changed the timing and route to match this place like the creep he is."

"Maa, maa, Hana-chan. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that they switched which neighborhood they'll go around. They change it per half year, according to their club policy."

"Yamamoto-kun, you sure know a lot about it. It's amazing."

"Yeah, he could contest Hibari's love for Namimori."

"It's not like that! These things just fall on my ears. Those guys were complaining about the new route being tougher."

* * *

The new pastry location was something he saw in the mirror when the parallel version of him was dragged along for monthly treats. He looked at the exterior glass showcasing some of the treats and pondered at his reflection.

'Since I came back to Namimori, that reflection hasn't been showing parts of that impostor's life. I wonder if he finally kicked the bucket...' he felt his body being pulled into the shop and felt slight regret when he saw the shop entirely packed with women.

"So you weren't able to come here before because you were too embarrassed from all the girls?" Kyoko asked him innocently to which Hana gleefully added on,

"So you wanted a camouflage to gorge on sweets? Then you could have just cross-dressed. In fact, we'll help you pull it off!"

"We should try matching pairs Tsuna ahahaha."

'It's nice to see someone finding amusement in this situation.' Tsuna glared at the baseball lover.

"Then we'll all match! Let's go shopping next time."

'Yeah sure. We'll be the fantastic four, saving people from diabetes by eating all the sweets in this store' he thought as his stomach shriveled at the incarnation of sugar in front of him and was that a chocolate fountain?! Was that for all the perverts in Valentine hoping to get their affections to have a bite at them instead?!

He found himself reaching a cup under it either way, curious about wanting to find exactly what it tasted like. But his life was a constant joke so he had to slip and spill the cup's content at someone. But then, if he had to get slapped either way, he'd say something worth getting a slap for!

"I'm sorry miss. It's just that you looked so sweet, my chocolate had to accentuate your essence."

Yamamoto (that jerk) was snickering behind him and when he properly looked at the victim, he realized, he should have kept his mouth where it belonged- shoved into his ass. He could have handled a kick to his son better than this-

Miura Haru looked at him, red in her cheek, in what he hoped was repressed anger because he might as well try to seduce his look-a-like's stalker if he was trying to get his life more screwed up than what it was. Because some of the tales that version of him spoke made him worry for the sanity of the guy to allow her to be a foot's distance near him.

He used to consider the day he jumped into the looney bin, was the day he accepted the people his clone kept as family, as his associates.

Sasagawa Kyoko intervened saying,

"Geez Tsuna-kun, what are you even saying right now. I have a kerchief you can use to wipe that out. I'm sure the restroom was at..."

"The west wing from here."

"Thank you. Now, here, let's go." she beamed at Haru and dragged the spell cast girl over to the restroom and Tsuna looked everywhere but at Hana as the other sent a creeped out look for knowing where the girl's restroom was. Well, he couldn't help it if the first thing he does when he enters a room was to note all entrances and exits, sometimes the girls restroom was the best place to escape! Give a guy a break.

"Tsuna~ You Casanova you~" Yamamoto's eyebrows wiggled and the background song he heard wasn't appropriate (wiggle wiggle wiggle) and why would he even want to pull up a red flag here?!

Haru joined in later on their binge eating, which the brunette quietly dubbed Attack on sweet and he found that she was not as bad as the one his body double got.

'Well it's a parallel universe after all.' something niggled on his mind saying he shouldn't look at a book by its cover, but he did what he did best- ignore his problems.

It was a day where he realized how ferocious women could be, that they fought tooth and nail at the sweet buffet. It was a war-zone out there and Yamamoto's laugh rang and echoed through his experience and he felt slightly traumatized there.

When they decided to split ways, Tsuna's eyes got drawn towards the crossing seeing someone he really didn't want to pin as related to his conjectures. He walked towards his house to prevent the jock from catching wind of his thoughts.

'Why was Mochida there? Was it coincidence or else... No, it's just me being paranoid.'

When he was at class, he almost called out to the jock, but he refrained. Maybe it's better if he didn't raise any false alarms. Mochida had a good reputation and standing in school, but if he made the baseball-lover suspicious of him, it may hurt him for no reason. But, what was the story here? His eyes gleamed orange as a smirk hinted on his face.

'This might be interesting.'

From the crowd at the middle of the class, Yamamoto frowned a bit when he looked at his friend.

That week, the DC committee was a bit more tenacious than usual and the brunette couldn't get any observations done since they made any loitering, frankly impossible. But he could make some work done and observed the times for the committee rounds and the sports clubs rounds. Many of them made shifts in their time slots, not willing any encounter with the committee. By the end of the week, there weren't any clubs for an evening jogging session, except the boxing club, but those guys were tenacious.

The next week started and it seemed like the jock made it his mission to bring him along for his shenanigans.

"Tsuna. How bout we go to Takesushi? We made a new dish we decided to christen as Tsuna-special."

"Let me guess, it's sushi with its main focus on tuna. "

"Wow! You're psychic. How bout you try fortune telling? It might be your calling."

The brunette paid half his attention to their conversation but glanced at a pretty irritated Kendo captain during their way out and wondered how could he get information.

'Can't ask him.' he thought side glancing at the jock.

'Those two get too suspicious. They might think I'm up to something and put a damper on things.

Maybe, I should quieten down for a week and see if I can find any good sources.'

There were people he couldn't ask stuff about since they overthought things or spread the information to the people who mother-hen him. Kusakabe and the DC committee told everything he said to them to Hibari, Kyoko would tell Hana, who would discuss with Yamamoto if he brought it up with them, if he asked the people in Namimori, the information with circle back to Yamamoto and those two would immediately veer him off course if his plans reached them. So he had to overhear things when he wasn't with people in a way that it was natural. But Yamamoto was practically glued onto him and Hibari psychically got wind of any trouble he tried initiating.

They were smart enough to stitch things together from his comments, and what he thought was a bit outrageous this time, according to him. Because a lot of people from Namimori held his presence as something unwanted. If they took him and his skewed opinions seriously every time, the hospital would be full all the time.

* * *

In the next day, there was a study session and when the class settled into a semi-peace state, Hana spoke, irritated-

"I wish that monkey would get a hint by now. I will strangle him the next time he tries to talk to you again!"

"Hana-chan, don't worry. I'll tell him straightforwardly next time. I'm sure Mochida-senpai will understand."

"He's not given up yet? Well, he is known for his stubbornness. That's how the kendo team flourished so far, after all."

"You won't be so carefree if it happened to you, baseball idiot."

"But I don't swing that way."

"You know what I mean!"

The brunette, lost in deep thought, spoke thoughtlessly,

"Maybe if you show him that he's not the only man in your life, he'll quit it. It doesn't have to be a pretend boyfriend, since he's probably pursuing you since he thinks he's the only male in your life right now and since the other guys that approached you were the ones who got rejected by you, and for whatever reason he can still make contact with you... he thinks he's the one for you."

Noticing their concentrated looks at him, he squeaked in surprise.

Hana looked like she hatched a scheme and grinned at him.

"Then you walk with her for a week or two when you come and go from school."

"Hey! I won't convince anyone. Besides, isn't Yamamoto a better fit?"

"Sorry Tsuna. I have kendo practice in the morning and I barely make it in time for school and I have to help my dad in the evening at Takesushi."

'Then why on earth do you come with me to school and to my home?!'

"Then what about your brother?"

Kyoko looked at him pleadingly at this,

"Please Tsuna-kun. My onii-chan is finally trusting me to look after myself."

"...Fine. Let's try it out and see how it goes."

The brunette looked conflicted at being assigned this role. He was the one who was picked on all the time and now he should protect someone? Can he even do that?

He looked at Hana who gave a mocking salute when he was to go with her friend that day. He asked,

"Hey. If the guys who confess are this stubborn, how did you manage before? And what about after this?"

"So far, this year, Mochida's been the one. The rest don't have the spine to try that shit out, apparently. So I think, if we take care of him, Kyoko would be free to whatever she wants to do without being bothered this year at least.

It's kind of surprising though. I guess even monkeys mature when they go to middle school."

He frowned a bit and Hana reassuringly petted his shoulder.

"Chill Sawada. Jeez, you'd think Kyoko was the one who offered to walk you to help you instead of the other way around."

'I wonder if it's just my paranoia... '

On the way back, his uneasiness made the one who he was supposedly protecting slow her pace as she said,

"Tsuna-kun, thank you for accepting to walk me for the week, even though you seem so uncomfortable.

It means a lot to me.

Actually, I made onii-chan promise me to stop getting into fights."

That was something he knew. It was a bit famous and rumors of the Sasagawa siblings getting into a fight with each other when they were known to have the strongest sibling bond in town.

"He got into these brawls with people elder than him by three-four years and above. They got angry that he hurt their brothers since they were very insistent.

It made me mad that he risked his team's and his own participation right to tournaments. Even though he was the most passionate person about boxing I've ever known.

I didn't like delinquents at all, that time."

She teared up in frustration and he moved a bit ahead to hide her figure from prying eyes.

"And he used to get torn from shoulder to arms to legs and hide his pain under those wobbly smiles. But I don't want him to feel those things. So I decided to protect him instead."

She showed her smooth, pale fist and he blinked in confusion.

"Ehehe. These fists don't look like my onii-chans' right? So does it sound weird that I wanted to protect him?

...But I have my own way of fighting. I'll live my days with a huge smile on my face." She grinned at him while fire glowed in her eyes.

"And I'll face people properly. I'm sure we can talk things out properly since we're the same. We're humans who can understand each other's expressions and feelings. We don't have to hurt each other like that.

But I don't want his fists being used for these kinds of things. He protects a lot of other things with them, like his club's dreams for the championships and his convictions."

He walked back to his house after dropping her a few blocks before her house and he sighed, scratching his head.

'Guess I'll roll a red carpet for the great Reborn-sama and buy new concealers for the punches her brother will give me' he smiled slightly. A week later, his life as a Mafia boss will start, and crazily, he was able to accept being one.

'Once a sucker, always a sucker.'

* * *

But things were never that easy and his face was dunked into a toilet in a cubicle in the guy's washroom.

"Mochida-san! This isn't a good idea. What if he tells Hibari-san about this?!"

"Shut up! Why should I be afraid of dame-Tsuna?! He's just Hibari's bitch."

He shoved the brunette against its wall and as he spluttered, the captain shouted-

"You better stay away from Kyoko. Haven't you had enough being a creep from the juniors? Just because she walked with you once, don't get it into your head!"

"Mochida-senpai! I still think this is a bad idea."

There were four teens in a small cubicle and the brunette felt the familiar claustrophobia coming back to him,

"You remember how this guy ruined Kyoko's life back then?!

...What's with that look?! Are you still scared shitless from this guy?! Then scram! I'll just be the one protecting her!

So you'll stay away, right, dame-Tsuna?"

He grabbed his hair for another round and he felt that with this force, his scalp would break enough to bleed and stop healing. But he had to answer, else the guy would go for more rounds.

"No."

It was a horrible response, and he knew. But he made his decision the previous day. So he suffered an excruciating thirty minutes, partially suffocating before being thrown forcibly by a fuming kendo captain. It was time to face the music, that the situation was more dangerous than it was.

Hibari and Yamamoto would figure out but then bless his paranoid mind. He brought concealers to school.

'So what now? Refuse to bring Sasagawa-san back home? Hana would call me a coward. That's alright, but Yamamoto would figure out that someone threatened him and get the info that Mochida did this from the other two who probably won't like to keep this to themselves, especially if the DC committee approached them.

Sabotage the one responsible for a part of the school's glory? Especially since the popular kendo captain is the pillar of the team and a romantic interest for a lot of the girls here and a person guys respect. Will Hibari forgive me if I tarnish the school's name that way? Especially since there are signs that guy is a...'

He shook his head refusing to shoulder the blame here.

'But what do I do so that guy remains a respectful guy? Is there a way to bring sense into him? It'll be better if I continue to discourage him. It would be ideal if Yamamoto got involved here. But he won't if it doesn't affect me, weirdly enough. Kurokawa-san will bring it to light to protect her friend. Hibari would get involved if he figures out what he has against me. But it won't be pretty. The only other person with enough influence in this school is Sasagawa Ryohei...

Nah... Not him.

So it's up to me, huh. That's not reassuring. Maybe if I sabotage the kendo members, he'd be preoccupied? Worth a try.'

The next two days he spent, trying to find a way to poison (uh, food poison) the members, but found that the DC committee members were onto him. Not only that, ever since he decided to avoid getting into spaces with the committee or his friend, Mochida got foolishly reckless. Things would be easily brought into the light if he didn't conceal things from his side. Rubbish laid in his lockers and books had graffiti with them, shoes had their inner soles replaced with spikes. Things had gotten worse enough that the captain spent the night pelting stones into his building and he had to replace the footage with one from last week's. Thank goodness they were the cassette tape type, that he could make a copy and replace them.

Honestly, he was more careful than his attacker... and losing on sleep. He looked at Yamamoto and his mouth moved before he could stop himself.

"Y-Yamamoto-"

The other gave him an inquiring stare and he didn't could stop himself from self reprimanding his idiocy.

'How and why would he help here?!'

"Sorry. I was dreaming until now. You were sinking into the cake that the cafe had."

"The cakes there still haunting you?" he laughed remembering the traumatized brunette from their sugary experience, but turned a bit serious when he saw faint concealer marks on the others face.

"I'm more surprised that you could laugh in that situation." he diverted before the jock could make any comment.

The week ended and Tsuna thought he would buy a red carpet if that could make his new-tutor come sooner.

'I'll beg to be the head of a Mafia group if that's what it takes to get me out of this situation. Honestly, Mochida's getting too much for me to hide. If it takes me beating that guy in my underwear to stop, I'll wear bunny clothes and do a strip tease!'

He ran downstairs, slipping and tumbling downstairs to get to the one other person who kind of knew what was going on.

"Kaa-san! Was there somebody going to visit us?"

"No, there's nobody. Why?"

"I felt weird. Leave that. I might be lonely. I kinda thought you would be getting me a tutor since you were mad when I showed you my grades last time. Am I safe, ehehe?"

"No. You should try harder. I tried to get one. But then, I didn't get any luck."

'What the?! Why?!'

"...Don't worry, mom. I'll try harder next time. I'll... go to my friend's place..."

He exited the house and panicked.

'I pinned my hopes on that occurring! After all the similarities between that version of myself and this world. I thought...

What will I do about that guy?!...

I guess it can't be helped. I'll tell Yamamoto that he has been harassing me. It's the lesser of two evils...'

Tsuna stared at Kyoko's desk and he felt like the scum of earth and tears of desperation pooled into his eyes.

'What did I do...?'

On top of her clean desk, her favorite strawberry cake sharpener lay. He picked it up and his eyes glowed orange as his eyes misted over.

He felt something fell on his trouser, but he paid it no attention. White liquid like the whipped cream the girls poured over their cakes back at the cafe covered the sharpener. He brought it to his nose to confirm it. It did smell like it.

'I'm no longer his target.' he realized shakily.

He felt like he could faint as implications fell on upon another. It was his fault. He encouraged the other's depravity by not cutting this at the bud.

'She would be crushed if she knew. Her brother will not leave her alone after this. What will happen to the boxing club if he decided to teach him a lesson? Even if I tell Hibari he'd bite him to death and inform the Sasagawa's, following legal procedures. If Yamamoto heard of this, he wouldn't do a thing or at best, he'll tell either her brother or Hibari.'

His blazing eyes narrowed as he did what he promised to himself. He pocketed the sharpener and went and pocketed some other classmates items and finally kept them in his bag.

'This way it'd be a serial thieving. If it's investigated and traced back to him... Yamamoto would finally move and pull the wool.

But this is temporary. I need to stop Mochida by some other way.' his face darkened.

'Maybe I could change the target of the attack. It's playing dirty... but I can be worth it. Maybe if I can get ahold of some stuff from the kendo classroom... I can at least see if it's possible.'

* * *

The next day, it was the lass's keychain. So he took other keychains and some pencils from some of the guys bag. He felt like he couldn't keep in the food from today, not with those in the bag with the box.

The ones at his home right now stank and he felt disgusted to keep the stalker's proof of affection in the room he slept and lived.

He puked, the moment the last piece from the lunch box reached his mouth and tears fell over his cheek as he lamented how stupid he was.

'If only I didn't think of stupid things like the persecution of the kendo captain would bring the reputation of the school and informed Kurokawa-chan and Sasagawa-chan that he seemed to be in the corner wherever they went or that the captain had chased away potential suitors away.

Now I can't leave her alone or else he'd probably do something worse and everything she wanted to protect would go down the drain. What if she found what actually happened to her stationary...?'

Luckily it was one of the few days the two were busy with their own stuff. It gave him space to organize himself.

He ran to his mirror. He'd break the thing if the guy didn't reply to him this time!

"Sawada! Get out here! Where the effin- hell is Reborn?!" he screamed crying. Streaks of tears blurred his vision. Why can't someone help him out with what he planned for once?!

His eyes wandered at the frame of the mirror and a reason popped in his mind.

The frame was different from what his mirror was. That mirror had been replaced. Maybe it was broken and his mother threw it somewhere and got a new one.

He fell on his knees as he wished he hadn't threw the card at the plane. Maybe he could have asked Byakuran on what to do. Now, what could he do? What would Mochida do tomorrow? What about the next day? Next week? When will Kyoko or her brother get a wind on what happened?

"I don't want to handle the consequences!" he sobbed.

"Someone, help me..."

The next day, he came to school, ignoring the DC committee's worried looks. He moved to Kyoko's desk like he had been possessed.

There, all over the bench, the captain had left his mark and Tsuna sobbed a little. He couldn't clean it without the stench remaining. If he switched it with one in the classroom, the stench would be permeated in the entire room. Moreover, should he even hide these things? What if Mochida did something worse after this? What is he thought this meant that his object of affection liked him too? What if he ambushed her somewhere? He couldn't help her even if he was right beside her. This thing would make people avoid her in the first place!

He started moving the desk to the door to exchange it with the spare desks. He saw a glaring Kurokawa Hana at the door and he paled and whimpered,

"K-K-K-Kurokawa!"

She glared deeply at the white stuff on the desk and she looked at the space where it came from and understanding flashed. She turned her dark look back at him and he knew the jig was up.

"It was Mochida, huh?"

His sweat, smudged the concealer leaving dark circles and bruised cheeks in plain sight and she seemed to fit more pieces in the puzzle and she grimaced, understanding why he chose to do what he did.

The brunette's look fell as his arms flopped at his sides as he resigned himself.

"Let me replace this, Kurokawa-"

"You can call me by my first name"

"Hana-san. I'll tell everything. Don't worry. I can still fix everything-"

"Tell me on the way. The two of us can finish it faster."

So he somberly explained everything to the black haired girl, ignoring the way she clenched her teeth in anger by the end of it.

"Sawada. I get telling Hibari would make things worse, but I've got no other ideas and letting my best friend be subjected to that crazy stalker is something I'd not do even if I bite the dust."

"... We could subject him to another crime and get him accused for it instead."

"Uh huh, commit perjury that the great detective can't find out. That's a dumb idea."

"Do you think we could get the kendo members to keep this a secret instead?"

"What do you mean?"

"If we show them what their captain has done. They'd keep him quiet so that their participation in the competition wouldn't be canceled. Not to mention, their reputation would be hurt since people wouldn't want to associate with the friends and members of the team that such an incident can from."

"...Worth a try. Where can I meet them? I don't know their route, but you know, right?"

"Hana-san... I'll be doing it."

Kurokawa wanted to object but after looking at his sheer will in his blazing eyes, she nodded firmly

'Just... be careful, you idiot.'  
When the day was over, he reached the kendo dojo's entrance where the members were stretching before their jog. It was a place where the committee members normally never covered, so it was good for a confrontation.

He took the items in their plastic bag containers and frowned at their recognition, but carried on at their budding panic.

"You guys do know that you'd get suspended if this goes public. The link between you guys and your captain would be easy to find during the investigation."

"I tried telling senpai, what he did was crazy-"

"Even though you helped out in the plan?" seeing the other gulp, his anger built at the possibility of a more direct involvement.

* * *

"What's the ruckus? You guys should have reached the main gates by now." his eyes laid on the brunette and he sneered at the bags-

"You preserved that? What a sicko."

"Mochida-senpai... I don't think this is a laughing matter. Do you even what this would do to Sasagawa-san? Or to your club?"

"Are you threatening me? You guys are seriously cowering over this loser? This was the guy who asked my Kyoko out on a dogeza. Plus after his toilet bath, breaking his window and stuffing his place with garbage, his beloved little Hibari-sama did not even help him.

This guy is probably alone in this. There's no need to be afraid of this guy."

It pissed him off that the most pathetic guy in school was lecturing him, acting like he was above him. He wanted the auburn eyes on him, so he went a bit out of the way to get her to pay attention to him- and leave as big of an impression as she had on him.

Why did dame-Tsuna have to be the judge of his love? All was fair in love and war, right?

At his words, the guys started getting a bit more brave.

"Are you trying to play hero? Sawada... after a few months, have you forgotten what you are? Or do you think you are someone different now? What exactly has changed, huh?"

He pushed the brunette to the ground and it felt like his more confident self fell apart as the captain asked the questions his mind usually tore at him.

"You know, Sawada. If you wanna be reborn as someone different... you'll have to die once, at least."

His body shivered at the madness that swirled in the other's eyes. He scrambled to run away from there, only to get pinned by the other members-

'Of course, if there were people who could actually contribute to this wouldn't have been sane enough to negotiate with!'

"Keep him from squirming."

Mochida came back from the clubroom with a shovel and Tsuna's eyes widened like a baby doe's as he whimpered over the laughs that rang above him over his reaction.

He struggled under strong arms that pinned him as the captain dug a hole right near him. He attempted to scream but hands covered it, blocking parts of his vision, as it swum over his beating heart.

And he was ceremoniously thrown into it and before he could jump out of there, dirt fell at his limbs as his words came out as warbles, fear taking over his sanity. Mochida apologized.

"Sorry, Sawada. We don't have the time to get a coffin for you. Either way, you're going to be reborn, right?"

He screamed at the top of his lungs, but it came more as coughs and wheezes as the kendo captain shoveled more dirt at his face. He wished he could bring himself to ask Hibari or Yamamoto to help him out of it. But the retard he was, he wept, could not bring himself to betray Sasagawa Kyoko's dreams and wishes. Maybe that was why he was here, dying alone-

Then he felt something bite at his locked arm and panicked at the prospect of being feed for the underground habitants. He remembered his biology teacher drone about bodies being decomposed by the insects living in the ground and he frantically tried to shrug off the dirt as more and more was put on top of me. His breath was slowing down as he kept crying and screaming as none of his limbs flailed like the mental version of himself was doing. He felt more things crawl over stomach and he felt something warm near his thighs.

He puked at the things his imaged conjured as his vision flooded with more and more darkness and he screamed and shrieked as his body convulsed. His heart went to overdrive when the last spot of light vanished.

The soil was loose enough to allow him to breathe faintly. But he felt tremors from above his head and he thought, with his burning eyes dripping warm water that their blocking the loose pores outside by adding force to block his chances of breathing and he morbidly wondered if the insects would eat him before he died or would he die by asphyxiation. He hoped it was the later as he was always too much of a coward to face pain.

He felt like if he closed his eyes tighter, the dirt would get into them and it would probably scratch the phosphor sparkles away. But his tears couldn't stop and his nose kept breathing in the dirt that he wished he could cough away. He wanted to scream and let his feelings out, but then he'd swallow dirt without being able to cough it out.

Dirt slithered into his shirt and pant sleeves and he felt like he would be much happier if he would just pass out, but then it would be his last chance to see and feel the world and be a part of it as something that could exist and live a part of it.

He wasn't able to confirm with Hibari that he had wanted to form a vigelante corp. He wanted to let someone else know whatever the mirror version of him told him. He wanted to admit how scared that future made him, how grateful he was to be blessed with people who would stay by his side and forgive his antics.

He wanted to see if Mukuro was fine. He wanted to save Chrome before she lost her eye and organs. He wanted to ask Lambo if he would like to live with him. He wanted to tell Kyoko that he hated her before, but then, he came to care about her like she was his sister. He wanted to tell Ryohei that he should try believing his sister since there are people who would like to protect her and her believes and she was perfectly capable of convincing people with just words (look at him)

He wanted Yamamoto to try letting other people see the other side of his mask. He wondered if he would show it when he heard what happened to him? His breath slow and he felt like maybe he was granted a small mercy. He smiled sadly. Maybe in the next life, he would be able to achieve these desires.

* * *

Just then, something gripped at his arm and he was pulled outwards. He was pulled partially out of his grave by a sweaty, dusty Sasagawa Ryohei who looked like he ran a thousand marathons. The boxers' bandages were ripped and he was panting with tears flooding out of his eyes. He shook the smaller brunette and made him splutter out the dirt and brought a hand near his throat to check his pulse. Feeling it weak, but pulsing steadily.

He screamed out-

"You idiot! Why would you face them alone! You could have let your friends know or even let me know! I'm the one who has any business in this! Why did you all this?!"

"...Hana...-san *cough* told you?"

"Yeah, she told me when she couldn't find you anywhere after an hour. We split up to find where you could have been. I thought you might be here since those guys train here.

The ground was fresh only here and I had a bad feeling...

But I never wanted to find you here! Why did you do this?!" he screamed, his voice hoarse from sheer panic.

"It... was my fault... I didn't let her know *cough* that he was someone that dangerous. You would have been *cough* intimated."

"I could have punched them for doing such un-extreme things!"

"She didn't want to make the team from getting kicked from the competition... She didn't want you to get hurt."

"Just for that?" he choked.

"It was her... conviction just like you hold it in your fists... I wanted... to protect it. But I got into *cough* a minor setback."

"...you idiot"

Kurokawa saw him there and shrieked at how instead of chatting there, they should send the brunette to a hospital but at the firm refusals from the small teen, they reluctantly brought him back home.

Then the brunette pointed at the room at the next floor,

"Yeah idiot, we'll get you to your room. We'll be going through the front door like a sane person."

"No... Use the tree."

"Huh? What! Are you crazy?!"

"Yeah, got it."

She looked at the boxer like he was a madman, but the other just wrapped the brunette over his waist and began climbing the tree with as much care as he could. He dropped the other to his bed.

"I put my number in your phone. Give me a call if you need anything. By anything, I mean anything. Don't give me any of the weird reservations.

Just before you get into any confrontations like before. You can fight your battles. You fought today's splendidly. But let someone know when and where. People can pull cheap shots sometimes.

That time, it would be better if you have someone who would extremely punch those guys senses back in. If you don't want people to lay a hand in your fights, but the guys you know don't listen to you. I'll extremely get them to let you do you!

I get angry when people meddle in my fights too!"

He ruffled the brunette's hair.

"Now get some rest. You deserve it."

With those words Tsuna's eyes closed onto itself, the exhaustion from the day finally catching up to him, but feeling satisfied that he got someone he felt like would get his back regardless of what he stood for.

When he woke up to an energetic boxer, he whined at the loudness but couldn't stop the small smile on his face which grew wider as a frantic Yamamoto barged into the room, after being briefed about everything from Hana the previous day to give him a desperate hug. His smile wouldn't simmer down even as Kusakabe scolded him as Hibari scowled at him as he explained that he wouldn't have revealed the more private details of the case because of victim confidentiality laws that the Hibari's took very seriously regarding victims older than 10, in their case, believing that minors should be given power to making decisions generally.

His week went great other than his minor breathing problems, that is, and after all the apologies he had to make to his friends for worrying them. He didn't understand why, but he was in a really good mood. Maybe it was his only way of maintaining his sanity or maybe it was because he was so grateful to be given another chance to fulfill his many wishes. Who knew?

But things never really went well for him that long and he saw a letter in pure white at his bedroom with a white flower with a huge number of petals (he was willing to bet it was a thousand)

'Dear Sawada Tsunayoshi,

Throwing our only mode of contact? How cruel can you be to my delicate heart?

But I'll forgive you, because I've got a big heart.

I've attached some files to this letter. You know you shouldn't hide things from your mother, Tsunayoshi-kun. I'll help you learn to be a bit more truthful. But if you feel like some secrets should be taken to your grave like a certain other parent of yours, then you need to help me out so that I can feel like helping you out too.

I've got a person I need to eliminate. Don't worry, for your first mission, I won't give you something as difficult as gunning or stabbing someone...

It's just giving a drink to the main pianist of the event mentioned in the details page. You'd be his assistant for the event. The preparations are made. But if slipping a drink makes you queasy, then I'm all about choices. So you could also apply a contact poison at his keyboard keys. It's a substance called dimethyl mercury, if you're interested in knowing what it is. Just don't touch it afterwards~ You're not the target. And you have to kill him before he finishes the assassination he was assigned to do! It's a heart throbbing, adrenaline rush filled adventure XD

If you choose to accept the mission, go to Namimori shrine, three days from now.

Ps. Don't let anyone know the contents of this letter, or I won't grant any favors ;)

Your favorite,

Gesso Byakuran'

He numbly pulled out the files, shell-shocked at the prospect of killing someone. It was an indepth profile with proof of Sawada Iemitsu killing people. Tsuna buckled down at that moment,

'Kaa-san should never know about this.' he thought solemnly.

His eyes blazed with defiance when he came to himself.

'I probably can't defy him by myself.

But then, I've got people who I can rely on.'

He called a person he thought would have leads on this.

"Kusakabe here, Tsunayoshi-san. I didn't expect you to call at this moment."

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but it's a bit of an urgent business.

… You see, I'm being threatened."

"...Hibari-san wants to talk in person. Could you come to the Hibari household right now? Or do you want us to come over there?"

"No, it's all right. It's something I can't afford being overheard here."

"Ok got it. We'll ensure you don't get attacked on the way."

"You don't have to do that-"

the call had hung up and Tsuna had to restrain a sigh. 'Worrywarts, the two of them'

He left the house giving a sleepover as an excuse to his mom.

When he reached the Hibari household, he saw a Hibari sitting at the coffee table in a kimono while Kusakabe was pouring tea for the three of them.

Sawada didn't waste any time and placed the envelope in front of them and seeing recognition flash in the prefect's eyes, he guessed the older had known about it. But before he asked for an explanation, it was provided for him.

"I was forbidden from revealing anything about it. He had information that could endanger your family. But I couldn't protect you from him. My men are still searching for the card that could enable me to explain the contents of the discussion between him and I. I'll intimate you firstly when we find it. "

Hibari was planning on using the ambiguous time in their betting terms for the card arriving the Japan to win the bet and upturn his loss.

Tsuna nodded as he accepted the new information. He spoke what he could reveal,

"He got information that I can't believe he could even get his hands on. I think I'll be transported to Italy" he thought thinking of the only pianist that mattered to his parallel self's world.

"It might be a concerto or an opera. I don't know." he usually didn't give him vague information like in fear of getting bitten for wasting the others time, but he felt like after what Ryohei said, he could try asking more than what he thought he deserved.

The two listened to him seriously and Kusakabe said,

"We think there's a mole in Namimori. There was no way he could get such detailed information about our patrol routes and a way to transport things to you by being present remotely, so we will keep searching for them. If we find them, we can intercept them and pass false information and prevent any punishments from being carried out.

I'll enlist help form Yamamoto-san and Sasagawa-san since they expressed their intent in helping you with any troubles you might have."

"The Hibari branch will keep information streams at musical establishments or establishments famous musicians visit to help you." Hibari's eye held a promise.

And Tsuna felt that this time, things were going to be all right.


	13. Welcome to the door of Chaos

**Chapter 13**

**Welcome to the door of Chaos**

Sawada Tsunayoshi took his first steps into the helicopter, knowing that he'd be engaging in a stare-down with death itself. He felt like maybe he'd gotten a bit full of himself lately with the feeling of people supporting him giving him a high he'd never felt before.

Their affection was intoxicating, and he was probably addicted to the drug. It made him feel like the days of bad luck were over with the company of Hibari, Yamamoto, the Sasagawas, Kurokawa, and Kusakabe.

But before he could indulge in a future where they hang out and pursue their passions, he had an appointment with the reaper. He could feel himself get a bit optimistic since, the last the time with Estraneo went pretty well, ignoring Gesso.

Hibari could get him out of this rotten deal, he was sure of it. Then he could estrange the Gesso from his life. He didn't know what the parallel version saw when looking at the guy, but their feelings were not mutual. He was pretty sure he could only manage a fling with Italy since they shared nothing but horrible experiences in the land.

And besides, there were things that piqued his curiosity but then again, some things were better left a mystery.

Pepping himself up, he entered the confined cabin of the pure white helicopter sent to pick him up. He frowned, thinking that the only reason he had to play a part in an assassination, given that he was an untrained civilian was that there was something bigger playing under the hood. He looked at the file given to him.

'Byakuran knows that impostor and he's been creepily stalking me or observing me, whatever works for him. So why ask me to kill...

It's not like I know him personally. I've only seen a version of him and yet, it gives me a bad taste...'

He frowned looking at the profile of his target, Gokudera Hayato. He apparently was a bomber, famous as a renown pianist.

'Honestly why kill him? And why me?' he thought to ignore his shaking hand.

'It'd probably more difficult for me than him' he smiled wryly.

The people in the helicopter looked at him like he was trash and it felt like he was getting into familiar territory. But it also made him squirm in his seat.

"Honestly, why do we have to keep a watch on him?"

"You heard the boss, he wants us to report if the civvy finishes the mission in one piece."

They weren't even trying to hide their disdain and it almost made him try jumping out of the heli for his self-preservation.

Tsuna sighed. He wasn't going from this helicopter without bruises. And sure enough, they started pushing him around. The suited men in the helicopter read from their file while puffing cigarettes.

They gripped his wrist hard enough to make him wince as they chatted.

"The guy this kid's supposed to shoot down is a friend of the Bovino right? They're our allies last time I checked."

He moved in the direction they tugged to reduce the pain wishing that just because he was the target of their conversation didn't mean the guy's finger had to be pressed against his head like a pistol.

"Idiot. Brat's been plotting to protect the next head from toppling. Plenty of reason to get a shot or two in that silver head.

Puhaha, If you ask me if the Decimo's weak enough to be offed from their own group... they oughta buy him a grave instead of all the protection they've employed."

"True dat. I always thought that their bae, Federico got no place in that world as long as Xanxus breathed.

Although our boss is a genius. I mean he thought that the guy needed to know how he ain't ever gonna get the throne. Look how the mighty have fallen!"

"Ahahaha! Vongola's on its last leg!"

He bit his lips anxiously in the light of the new information. Looking at his meek appearance must have ticked off the guy who had an increasingly tightening grip on him.

* * *

"...Hey. Getting back to business, does this kid even have the balls to shoot that bomber?" he looked at the brunette, scrutinizing him.

"Hmm... You've got a point" the man sitting opposite to him threw a gun at him which he spectacularly failed to catch and scrambled on all fours to fetch it when he was subjected to the glare from the two men in the passenger seats.

He went on his knees when his trembling fingers felt the cool metal of the gun. He felt his ears burning.

"Why're you handing me the gun? Connect the dots" he said, tilting his head to the other who smirked confidently at him. The two men looked relaxed despite asking the brunette to kill one of them.

Tsuna remembered the time he managed to get a gun from the escorts. It had a different meaning back then. His fingers felt unusually warm as the metal under it sapped his warmth as well as something else.

His hands shook and he swore he could hear the gun rattle.

He swore up and down that he could be made willing to kill these people. They were Mafia. They were looking at him like he was prey and he himself was pretty sure that they'd do something to him if he couldn't make good of the challenge. He'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

From the 'friends' who'd keep those very eyes to see if he'd do something interesting if they tossed his lunch, his books, his shoes. Those eyes that gleamed as they taunted him while drowning Natsu. The eyes Mochida looked at him with as he taunted the prospect that he was enough to protect Kyoko...

But he...

He couldn't do a thing then... and sadly...

He can't do a thing even now.

The gun slipped from the sweat that pooled in his hand as he felt saliva pool up in his mouth as his vision shook as their eyes shifted from looking amused to disappointed and bored.

He remembered that when they changed, Natsu had been shred to meat from his hand forced to make him change what the cat represented in his memories to what the disillusioned saw- living clumps of meat. Scenarios filled with people fed up of his antics and having given up on expecting things from him, resorted in doing things to him that came in his nightmares and haunted his dreams.

His lips wobbled as he let out a quiet keening sound.

The second man took the gun from the floor and easily unlocked the safety to shoot his partner... It turned out the gun wasn't even loaded. He looked at the brunette unimpressed.

"Now that wasn't hard was it?"

The other looked at him, equally unimpressed.

A gun was cocked at his head.

"Come to think of it... Boss said don't assist him and just keep a track of his actions. This kid's likely to fail anyway. Why don't we just shoot him and finish the mission ourselves? Any problems?"

The space turned silent and Tsuna felt his body cool down with the exception of his burning eyes. His lips fell down to a full frown, his body refusing to move.

"Cut it out. We'll be landing in 30 minutes" a voice from the pilot's seat rang and Tsuna huffed a breath of relief.

The two seemed to get to work shuffling around their bag. The brunette couldn't move from his spot, breathing heavily, his head down and heart pounding wildly.

The one closer to him brought out a small cuboid thing and the other shook his head.

"I don't have them right now."

"Huh? Whaaat? Why didn't you pack it? Do you know how hard it is to clean blood stains from this suit?"

His vision tunneled towards the men and for some reason, he couldn't control his breathing.

"Sorry, sorry. It's my bad. I'll make up for it later."

"Geez... you're paying for dry cleaning with dinner from your pocket."

"Got it~"

The man started going towards him, looming over his prone figure. Tsuna jumped backward and felt his back collide with something hard. He peeked behind.

It was the door to the outside of the helicopter flying 10000 feet up in air.

… His stomach flipped at the thought. He let out a loud whimper when the irritated men gripped his shoulder to ram against the flimsy door, being the only barrier from him falling to his death.

Something he would be facing if Yamamoto didn't stop him that day.

He would have shrieked as a large hand moved upwards, hovering over his neck to his face, blocking 80 percent of his field of view and then suddenly taking up only half the space.

He felt rough fingers at his mouth as a large thumb pressed at his lower jaw as his three other fingers opened his mouth, his index pressing at the upper side of his mouth forcing his mouth to remain open. His saliva dripped out and his tears began welling up at his lack of ability to utter a coherent sound or control his mouth. He was pushed to a dead end where his body was paralyzed with the fear of falling through the sky and even with the salty, bitter taste of an adult man's large hand jammed into his mouth it seemed like the pain his jaws were in didn't seem enough for the Gesso mafia men before him as the second man brought something from the emergency supplies for the helicopter, for its maintenance- pliers and Tsuna felt his body spasm as he gasped against the unwanted intrusion. His attacker didn't want to let him up and grounded him as the other held his legs down.

The brunette squealed-

"This was why I told to get the anesthetic. Geez, it makes things harder than it should be." the man grumbled as he moved the pliers over a molar and Tsuna's tears flooded his cheeks as he felt metal adding pressure and he shivered violently. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a wrong move as the pliers crushed the molar and he felt tiny tooth pieces going down his throat along with a metallic taste.

Tsuna screamed and screamed as the man started extracting the broken pieces as more fear flooded his mind as he looked at the second man getting more and more irritated. He thought he would break his legs to keep him from squirming at the intense pain and at the uncomfortable feeling of his hair getting wet from the tears.

His gasps didn't give him time to breathe and the adrenaline from the prospect of more pain and being placed in such a compromising position kept him from going unconscious.

Not to mention the previous threat on his life had just gotten postponed.

His vision felt like it got brighter and darker as pain flooded his mouth. After what seemed like an eternity the guy brought out the small cuboid and attached it in place of the tooth.

The two got up and brought the brunette up by the collar and tossed him in the seat, shoving a sock in his mouth. His eyes burned with the raw pain and the rancid taste of the makeshift cotton to absorb the blood. He couldn't even curl himself to internalize the pain, with the unfriendly stares directed at him.

* * *

The helicopter landed and the men seemed to move at a way faster pace than the brunette could handle at the moment. He felt dizzy from the blood loss and felt his temperature getting too warm to think straight.

'Of all the times to get a fever.' he thought, frustrated and writhing with pain.

They landed in a pretty shady area cluttered with a lot of junk. Grasping the opportunity, Tsuna took the opportunity to bolt when they focused on getting their guns from their jacket. Hearing the clumsy footsteps, the three turned his way and shot. Tsuna was already nearby the junk by that moment. He could only hope that they weren't flammable. Bullets whizzed through the air as curses and swears rang through the area and the brunette stumbled through the area in his haze, desperate to escape alive.

Thankfully the area was large enough to get lost in and the Gesso didn't seem to have much of a backup.

So Tsuna escaped from there. But now he had to maneuver to his target before he kills Federico with a blithering fever, a target whose location was unknown. That and the fact that he had a tool to kill with, but for some pathetic reason, he couldn't use it... at all.

But that was no reason to stay still and become easy shooting practice.

After running for quite a lot of time, he realized his clothes were nicked and torn in different places making him unrecognizable from when he boarded the helicopter. He looked like a beggar and at this point, being armed with so little, he might as well be.

Tired, sick and hungry, his mind circled and circled until he dropped unconscious in a dark alley. At that point, he didn't care about the consequences.

He woke up a spectator for a bullet shower outdoors. Sometimes, he wondered if he was lucky or unlucky. Especially since the one in the center of that shower was hiding behind some cartons at an abandoned fruit stall. It seems like the only way he would ever see the Millefiore, or the Gesso right now was to see them riddling people with bullets.

His hazy mind latched on the first feeling that came from himself. So he looked around the alley to check for things he could use. The alley was narrow and damp with cigarette butts that were strangely familiar. The ash was still warm and a lot was used, implying that someone was staking out nearby.

His mind popped out a strange guess that made him swivel his head around to Gokudera. His delusion had a Gokudera Hayato that smoked the very same brand and the bomber was there outside without a single bomb in sight. Would he really stake out without a weapon? So maybe, there's something in this alley with nothing but... walls... He squinted at the walls, ignoring his pulsing head.

There were weird compressions in the buildings that when pushed broke to show bombs that he guessed were incredibly potent. Here he was, an incompetent through and through. Like the two adults said, his chances of completing the mission were low and no one would find him in an unknown ally like this. There was a chance that his corpse would burn into crisp either way.

So he did what any sane person would do with bombs without any source of fire, not even a match stick. He burnt the flame of vengeance.

That's how Gokudera Hayato met Sawada Tsunayoshi. The brunette ran in the middle of the gunfight with the bombs strapped all over his body, bombs that would ignite at a single shot. The bomber turned rigid as shock overcame his features. He wasn't alone in this. The shooters halted at the sight of the third party wrapped in a bomb suit. The musician and the shooters both knew that a single bullet on that running bundle, the whole area would go up in flames. After all, those were the bombs the Hurricane Bomb Hayato was famous for.

But the surprise didn't end there, the guy stripped the makeshift bomb suit there as he started heading over to where the silverette was hiding behind and chucked it towards the shooters from which some of them caught by surprise, shot it by accident.

"Start running!"

He didn't need to be told twice, but he winced at the pain which was sure to come with blowback... which never came as he felt his back being shielded by the brunette.

His eyes widened as the explosion's shockwave flung them to the other side a good 20 feet away.

Gokudera looked at the madman who saved his life that he had been sure would have ended in the gun firings.

"W-Why did you do that, you idiot?! What were you thinking?! Why would you run in the middle of the shooting with bombs?! You would have exploded if even bullet hit you. Why did you even cover for me?!"

The brunette looked like he was losing consciousness fast.

"...I wanted revenge... on those assholes... Getting you out would be my best bet..."

"O-oi... That's it...?" The bomber asked frantically as he checked the other's slowly fading pulse as he tried to keep the other awake. But he didn't get any response except a damn smile on the little idiot's face.

Tsuna woke up to less pain but a feeling of restriction and the smell of antiseptic. He looked around to find himself lying on top of a bed with medical items in hidden places and specialized first aid boxes similar to what he used to have. It felt like his room, but he was in Italy.

He saw the room was hardly used with a small dusty piano at a corner.

The door opened abruptly with a battered Gokudera walking in, barely conscious to give him a second glance. The silverette spit something and slumped against the door. It was like looking at a mirror. To think he thought they were polar opposites. It felt like seeing the flip side of things.

Tsuna got up feeling like he was imposing on the other. It would give him ease if he could, maybe not be a burden for his... host?

He picked cottons, bandages and antiseptic and began cleaning up the other and wrapping the other in bandages. It took a good amount of time, enough time to bring back the other to consciousness. A firm hand gripped his arm as the silverette growled at him menacingly.

"Next time, don't touch any of the stuff. Listen up. You're going to stay here and stay still until your wounds heal fairly and then you're going to scram."

"But then I would be using your stuff for free. That's hardly fair. I can earn my keep. That would be better, right?"

He seemed surprised at the proposition, but he quickly schooled his expression to that of careful blankness.

"If you're looking to poison me after gaining my trust, I'd say you give up on them."

It was true. The cabinets with different chemicals, which could be used for pyrotechnics as well as for drug synthesis were locked with a biometric lock and the emergency first aid box didn't have any chemicals which could be mixed to form poison.

"No, no. I just wanted to earn my keep for your kindness for letting me recover."

His body was still hurting and he felt a bit sick, but then again... he was overstaying his welcome.

The bomber looked at him strangely.

"You have third-degree burns on your back. You'd be killed on the streets. Your fever isn't doing you any favors.

Besides you got mixed up in my business. I don't want to owe you any debt. So you don't have to do anything."

"Ok. I got it."

Despite the easy agreement, Tsuna didn't seem to be heeding his words. The days from then got them in a weird, yet consistent routine.

Every day, Gokudera got hurt in some way or the other and got him getting back to his apartment and getting himself tended by Tsuna who limped around the apartment cleaning all parts and making meals for the two of them which they'd eat together in comfortable silence. He didn't bother asking since it was obvious to him that the other was working around his conditions.

Gokudera noticed how the brunette waxed and beautified the piano in particular and once got curious enough to ask the reason for the special treatment.

"Well, it's the only thing unique in the apartment. Everything else are necessities. So I thought it must be special to you."

"...It's none of your business.

...What's with those eyes?" he said looking at expectant eyes, not used to seeing it directed at him.

"Hey, can you play a song for me?"

The bomber scowled as he was reminded of the frontal image he used to gather information. But he indulged him and sat at the piano seat and played a simple piece that the brunette couldn't recognize, not being familiar in music pieces. But even if he couldn't recognize it, the way the sound twinkled as notes flew around the room, made him childishly swing his legs as he leaned forward to hear better, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Seeing the expression on the brunette seemed to encourage the pianist as he played different songs that became improvised with the humming of his companion. He couldn't help giving the embarrassed scowl as the other seemed to insist on clapping at the end of each piece.

It was late at night as the two were dozing near the piano and Tsuna babbled praises the bomber basked under.

"Gokudera-san... your piano is sho~ beautiful. It's like your hands have magic or something."

the comment seemed to trigger nostalgia in the pianist as he gazed dreamily at his piano and seemed to get lost in his mind.

* * *

From the next day, Gokudera came back, looking more calmer than he ever looked since their meeting. He started a habit from the day, playing the piano at weekend nights.

Two months passed and Tsuna kept the whole murder thing at the back of his mind. It was fine since the mission had no deadline, right?

But peace doesn't last forever, and that was always true in Tsuna's case. The apartment door was slammed open and the last person Tsuna expected came in.

"Aho-dera! I don't care if you say I can't visit because of your 'important' mission. I want to play!"

"Oi! Drop that nickname already! How long are you going to call me that- Leave that. There's no time for fun and games. Federico-san expects me to protect him in this important time. I can get into Vongola if I get results."

"Is that why you're tearing yourself limb to limb? Really-" the shaggy black haired teen paused as he saw brown eyes and started to bawl.

"Tsuna-niiiiiii! I thought you dieeeeed!" and proceeded to glomp him.

This display apparently scandalized the bomber as he proceeded to extensively lecture the big baby.

"If you're going to address him using Japanese honorifics, use them properly. You're younger than him, aren't you. Besides he's still recovering. You should be careful with him. Can't you see the hospital gown I made him wear?"

Tsuna looked at the teen hugging him and spoke fairly astonished.

"Bovino? You knew Gokudera-san?" and he gave the bomber an accusing look for not giving the time to prepare for the meeting. But seeing the resigned look the other gave him, he figured Lambo had a habit of giving surprises every time. It also explained why the other made him wear the hospital gown religiously every day- in preparation for this event (a pointless effort really)

"Eh? I told you didn't I? That I got your information from him, hmm, a year ago?"

'But you didn't give the name!'

"Ah... so you... did."

"Tsuna-nii is so forgetful~"

"You don't have to indulge him! You'll only bloat his ego. I'm actually surprised that he hasn't beaten down your ego by now. I can see that your constant losing streak hasn't taught you a lesson in humility."

'Him?' the brunette thought confused at the sentence the silverette directed at the cow-teen.

"I'll definitely beat that old man and make him admit his loss and say that I'm a great student next time."

"Hah! Keep Dreaming. He's world famous at what he does! He's as amazing as ever!" he said with awe.

It seemed like Lambo remembered something as he bluntly asked Tsuna.

"I heard from my tutor that you're currently threatened by Byakuran Gesso. How's the status right now?"

Tsuna's had it with sudden surprises. His eyes can't bulge out of its sockets any further. But Lambo wasn't fazed.

"I thought that it was strange that he would tell me anything about his mission. But his creepy psychic powers strike again."

Gokudera seemed to completely respect the guy as he spoke star- struck.

"As expected of that great man! He knows exactly what would happen."

"Yeah, but it's honestly getting creepy. So... he's Hibari's hired hand right now. Strange he even accepted. But it's stranger that the Hibari's would even try to hire him.

But a lot of things are happening with the Mafia lately, I gave up trying to figure things out."

"I got that you and Gesso had a deal. But they didn't hold their end and you had a falling. But what and who was your target?" he asked with such honest eyes that the brunette was compelled to answer truthfully.

"I was to assassinate you." he answered simply. Lambo seemed a bit uncomfortable.

Gokudera opened his mouth to say something but thought against it, and said instead,

"... At least you get options."

Tsuna forced his smile from appearing bitter. He desperately hoped things will turn for the better.

"Yeah... Lucky me."

Lambo popped into his space minutes after that looking clearly suspicious of something.

"Did that marshmallow put a chip or something on you?"

"Aho-ushi, he's only in a hospital gown. According to the Omerta, we aren't supposed to give civilians internal chips."

"...Actually, Gesso has a chip in place of my tooth."

Gokudera looked at him fitting pieces of puzzles together. He clicked his tooth and moved to his locked cabinets. Tsuna remembered the pliers and wanted to jump out of the windows. The bomber looked at the unease spreading over the other's face and showed the tools he'd be working with: anesthetic, dental stainless picks, and a small syringe.

"Don't worry. I've learned the techniques from a respected … mafia doctor?"

"That's a partial lie Hayato-nii!" Lambo looked aghast at the title given.

"Well, uh, at least he's skilled at what he does."

'That doesn't reassure me at all.'

"Tsuna-nii, I'll sing you a song to distract you when he picks at your tooth!"

"Your voice is no better than a peacock or chalk scratching!"

They bickered back and forth distracting Tsuna from the slight pain as he extracted the cuboidal structure. Gokudera scowled at him, no doubt feeling a bit disgusted at the way his tooth was extracted.

"They're a real piece of work disobeying the Omerta in such a blatant way. Ok, now we find some Gesso men around this area."

Tsuna felt surprised at the suggestion. He wasn't sure if the other realized the implications behind it.

"Gokudera-san, that would mean that you can't kill them until the Hibari's find a way to get the blackmail material on me... Wouldn't that hurt your chances of getting into the Vongola?"

The bomber looked at him confidently.

"I've kept track of the routes each of them patrol for the two months. It's regular and methodical. They follow instructions to a T. So it's easy to exploit it.

It's nothing much from my side. They're also enemies of Federico-san. I have the routes, names, skills, patterns of movement for every situation they've been trained -memorized."

For all the pride Gokudera was filled with, Lambo looked at the other worriedly. Tsuna got a bit distracted seeing the small cuboidal suitcase which seemed too light when the teen brought it in the room during his grand entrance.

The bomber took advantage of the distraction to avoid the incoming discussion.

"Why do you bring that suitcase if he prevents you from using it?"

The teen huffed irritably and said,

"That guy doesn't let me use it on myself or friendly foe apparently. His bullets are more than enough to let me know that even if he won't answer. He always says he knows what would happen if I use it on myself or on you. How can he even know that?

Figures old men don't want to learn anything new or make discoveries."

"Aho-ushi, think about it the other way! The versions of ourselves in the future need our future selves and we don't have the circumstantial knowledge to be of use there, at the very least. It's reckless to do things based on simple curiosity!"

Just then there was constant pecking at the window. Tsuna looked at the window in pure amusement. It never ceased to surprise him with the way Vongola apparently decided communicating with birds was the best way to securely communicate during the 8 weeks he'd been staying there.

There was a snowy owl that entered the room with its message wrapped on its talons. How it never got detected is still a mystery to him, that and the way it looked at him like prey. Well, they do prey on mice or rats...

Gokudera scowled at the message. When Lambo came to take a peak, he crushed it claiming that it was for employer privacy concerns to which the teen gave him a weird stare.

Tsuna decided not to think too deeply about. That night he went outside with the cow-teen for official business and Tsuna was left in the room with the owl that stared into his soul. He petted it until they came back (They were weirded out by its purring though)

"Tsuna-nii, I'll be going for a bit. See you in a while."

It was such an abrupt goodbye that fit with his surprise entrance.

* * *

For the next week, things were a bit strange. It felt like Gokudera went to his old ways, coming everyday with increasingly serious injuries. When he returned, he slept until the next day, only eating and bathing under Tsuna's insistence.

At the last day of the week, Tsuna waited near the door as the time kept moving ahead with no signs of his room-mate. When he opened the door intending to run around in the streets to search for him, he found him collapsed just before he could reach the door.

Deciding that he had enough of being a silent spectator, he decided to confront the other the next day.

Tsuna looked at his silver-haired companion and asked,

"You've been acting strangely after the owl appeared. Is it something you can let me know?"

"...It's nothing. The job's just been a bit exhausting."

The only time he seemed to pause when telling him things was when the owl came with a letter and when he told what he meant to do.

"I'm going on a guess here, does it have something to do with my ex-mission-"

The bomber flinched minutely and he figured it out.

"I'm in the way ain't I? You should have just told me-"

"No! You're no trouble. You don't have to worry about anything. I can take care of it. Just give me some time-"

"You seemed to handle the revelation better before that owl came in. Are they colliding or something?"

"No! There must be a way I can do both-"

"Not if it can endanger your life like yesterday."

"I've been a Mafioso my whole life. Danger's practically my second name."

"...Yesterday

I thought I had to buy a Zinnia bouquet for you. I wouldn't know where to give them to."

"...Vongola is my best chance to belong somewhere.

It's just a bit difficult to prolong the Gesso mafioso's search for me when you've been ordered to kill the mafioso in the area by tomorrow.

Tomorrow, they'll be gathered in a place. It's the help that the Vongola granted me since I took seven days to solve their problem." he spat the favor granted. It was a bit shocking to hear him say that. It was good news so why was he finding the proposal being a problem? Was it because he didn't want help and it hurt his pride?

"Today they gathered since they realized that for some reason I'm hesitating."

"Gokudera-san, you can complete your mission easily. But if there are too many people, we can rig the area and set it off with a detonator maybe."

"...But what about you?..." he asked in a small voice. It might be his imagination, but it felt like it was his voice cracking.

"What? Don't worry about me. Things always work out some way or the other for me. But Gokudera-san, you need to grab your spot as selfishly as possible. Then at least one of us completed our mission, hehe."

Here he was, encouraging a friend to commit mass murder when he felt like things were slipping out of his grasp.

Gokudera looked pained as he said,

"...I thought all I needed was a place to be called mine, I was willing to do anything for it. But my being alone never cut it...

But it feels like I've become selfish and ended up wanting more...

I've been doing nothing but taking...

Tomorrow's not enough..."

"Gokudera, Vongola needs an Owl to talk with you.

I'm much less maintenance than that and you know how to reach me. You and I both have a computer that can talk to each other easily."

Gokudera gave him a sincere smile as he hugged Tsuna whispering apologies that he never needed to give.

When the next morning came, he came along with Gokudera to the place where the mafioso were 'gathered' by a third party apparently, who was to check that the mission was complete and give further instructions.

The brunette gasped when he entered the room. Lambo stood at the center of the ruins. The building was demolished after the explosion and the whole situation was brushed under old building destruction for architectural purposes.

"It was a conference and the remaining we maimed and kept them here. Then Hayato-nii just had to press the detonator. We had to make sure that the transport and placement of them weren't noticeable. They were all planned and handled by him. Amazing isn't it."

He felt soft masses in many spots he walked across. He wondered as his stomach protested to work in this condition if the bodies were stuffed in every crevice in the dark interior of the building based on the design the bomber explained to him.

There was a strong waft of fruit like perfume from the curtains under another spot he stepped which explained how the smell of the bodies was hidden. Scented carpets, curtains, bodies in scented wood coffins as architectural design. The scented wood was from sap painted over the existing wood. The place was old on top of it, so it could be reused for it. It was planned to the very finest detail to be executed in a small time frame with their behaviors and routes sent to the pros who 'helped' out to make the original plan execute even faster.

The bomber also faked announcements and communications when they usually talked with the usual content with voice changers. It may have been overdone a bit, but it was a great way of slowly numbing them to poison and killing them without a fuss and without being noticed since the plan's too grand to be imagined out.

But it didn't stop him from turning pale, nor did it stop his knees from feeling like it would buckle over. It was a testament on how much of a failure he would be if he was a mafioso.

He heard footsteps suddenly and felt that if he hadn't heard it from a distance, whoever it was from wanted to be hidden

"Hayato, I've confirmed that you've got everyone on the list. I think your recommendation will pull through." it was a deep baritone that he wasn't familiar with.

He turned around and saw a tall black-haired man who walked with a casual powerful gait. He wore a fedora with a gold ribbon and strangely enough had a chameleon sitting on his shoulder. His sideburn swirls looked fairly characteristic of someone he had seen in the vision...

"Thank you, Reborn-san!" the bomber bowed a 90 degrees bow to him.

The brunette swiveled his head to him in shock. That was...

No way.

What was he doing here? Lambo hopped over to his side and introduced them.

"Oh right, you guys haven't met, right? That's Reborn, he's my tutor and old man-ouch- ok, I'll stop, this is-"

"Tsuna-"

Lambo looked at his tutor in surprise, Tsuna looked at them both in shock. He shouldn't be knowing his name-

"I'll be skipping introductions since it's not needed." black obsidian eyes seemed timeless. Tsuna never knew that the charismatic man in front of him could seem so... sad. He'd not seen that expression on the parallel version's face. But it felt like that. He must be exhausted to think such nonsense...

"Lambo's told you a bit, but I've been hired by Hibari to get you back to Namimori."

Hope welled in his heart and his breathing sped up. Feeling lighthearted, he lightened up to ask, but kept quiet, his smile fading as he saw the others somber outlook. He felt like the other was feeling something akin to pity for his plight. That won't do-

"You don't have to look like the world's ending... My kaa-san is a strong person and she's not alone if I continue supporting her like I've done. I can become much more stronger for her.

It'll be a bit tough at first. But I can be there for her. It's the only thing I've done and the only thing I can do."

The other didn't change his expression. But that look did not suit him.

"Mama's always been strong enough to hold everything that she could see that she was to support up."

He wasn't strong enough to face it straightforwardly. He did not know who he was reassuring, the hitman or himself.

Reborn gave a nod to Lambo, who waved them goodbye while looking contemplative. Gokudera mimicked the expression and it made the brunette wonder a bit, but anxious thoughts swirled around his mind and he couldn't calm down.

When they reached one of Hibari's private planes, Reborn bid farewell without letting something he wanted to say out loud. The most he could do for him at the point was give the man a reassuring smile.

* * *

It was going to work well. It'll all be fine in the end. He asked all his friends to help out, the people who were infinitely more capable than he would ever be.

It was Byakuran vs him and his friends. His mother was so strong, maybe this would make her more stronger. Maybe it'd make her more independent, maybe it'll expand her view.

He returned to the homely town feeling like he'd be anywhere but there. There was a feeling in his gut that things never change. He wondered where that came from, maybe from all his bitter experiences.

His pace sped up and he wanted to see his house already. He didn't even bother climbing up the tree to dress his wounds first, he opened the strangely unlocked door to the smell of burning. He ran to the living room thinking that his mother forgot about the kitchen when cooking and going somewhere else.

These things can happen in a blue moon after all.

His eyes shut when he went to open his mother's room. Tears flooded his cheeks and he felt like he should be ashamed of his paranoia but he didn't know what he could do if... he forced his burning eyes open and whimpered and screamed and screeched. His hands scratched his arms as he was forced to confront the reality of the situation.

His lips wobbled as he realized that if he had important things in his life, they do get stripped right from his nose. And no matter who he asks, begs, no matter what he does to prevent something he knew would happen because he was nothing but the worst piece of trash that could exist. That for some reason he wouldn't let nature run its course and eliminate his pathetic excuse of an existence that can do no change against the shift of fate. That he couldn't be the master of his fate as he saw the documents of his parents' divorce one-sidedly signed by his father and miraculously getting approved. Near that was the documents Byakuran said he'd deliver, showing the way his dad chose to follow through. And right next to that was photos of his body without cosmetics he didn't want to know how the mafioso got his hands on and didn't want to show to her of all people.

And right above all of them was the body of his mother as she hung from the ceiling fan. The flame from the kitchen was taking speed and spreading through the house and it looked like the flame attacks his parallel self could freely manipulate.

He wanted it to swallow him whole. He couldn't support himself under the weight of reality. He was kneeling and crying like a child and it flowed without restriction and he felt like he got the short end of life. He had been pushed around, bullied, kicked, punched, humiliated, burned, drugged, kidnapped, threatened, choked and he couldn't protect the people he would give his life to see live. He didn't have the power to do so. He wanted it badly, so, so badly.

He slammed his head over and over. The pain couldn't numb his scorching despair. He beat himself over for being so useless, he didn't know what to do anymore. What on earth could he do?

He heard a desperate voice hovering him. Yamamoto was crying trying to get him on his feet. But Tsuna wanted to be there. He wanted to burn there. He didn't want to listen to the yells of the person who wanted him to fight the world again. He clawed the floor, desperate to stay. He wanted to run away-

This was impossible for him-

There were 7 billion people in the world, someone like him could go away, right? There are better people than him. Maybe there's another person just like him somewhere. So they could just leave him to his misery. He gave up-

Hibari's face blocked his view and he felt like he was going to go crazy if he left the house. He begged the two to leave him there. He begged them to grant him one last, one big favor. Yamamoto's sobs were the only thing other than his voice.

Hibari looked straight at him.

"Please give us one last chance."

They pulled him out of the house and Tsuna gave out animalistic howls. Yamamomto hugged him with a death grip and pleaded and pleaded. The brunette wouldn't listen to reason and broke out of the grip to head into the collapsing house only to be tackled down by a drenched Ryohei who came out of the house. He had apparently been trying out other rooms. He kept a firm grip on the brunette who yelled and screamed profanities at each and everything. Then Kyoko and Hana entered the courtyard, apparently running around the neighborhood searching for him followed by a somber Kusakabe.

Seeing the house get burnt to firewood seemingly took all the life from the brunette as he fell into complete silence with his eyes not focusing on anything as he finally dropped to the ground, completely exhausted like a wound up toy.


	14. The magician's hand

A/N: One of the big reveals of what's going on here is finally here with this chapter. So lemme know what you think about it? ^^

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**The Magician's hand**

Tsuna didn't dare look forward. He knew he was always a coward, but his heart and body stung and hurt all over. His footing was shattered and there was darkness behind, and if he saw that, that was all ahead he can't cope with the nature of his life.

When he gazed at the darkness, he saw two bulging eyes staring back at him. He heard of it when he researched it up. When a person hangs to death, their nerves expand and eyes bulge out of their sockets. Their neck wounds are purple-red and moving upward, unlike strangulation. Their skin becomes pasty and lose their elasticity and pale. Her neck was the only thing red as he shook her amidst the sparks of fire. The room was smothering and he couldn't breathe properly.

But as he looked down at those eyes that for once looked straight at him, he felt oddly self-conscious. Then he felt a weight at his neck followed by a burning pain as he was dragged towards her. He distantly figured it was the rope that was burnt in his vision.

As he was pulled in deeper and his neck felt like it'd snap. He couldn't bring himself to scream. He was dragged further than the body of his mother whose eyes followed the him in the direction he was pulled. He just sank deeper and deeper through the earth, even as the friction set his hand on fire for some reason and he was dipped into a sea of water into an ocean. He reached the ocean bed where he was pulled through the bedrocks to something he thought was lava, but felt thinner than that, not to mention it didn't feel hot at all. He followed the flow of the red liquid to see it being squeezed out by a meat grinder.

Tsuna closed his eyes thinking about what he could do now. His parents used to boast to him how they stayed together thick and thin, even when all their relatives opposed their marriage. They used to tell him the decision to elope was the best thing they had ever done. The only reason his dad had cut the bond was because he was going to endanger his family. It was all his fault. It was because he, unlike his parallel version didn't have that ex-machina like hyper intuition or the genius level instincts to choose the best view and routes for the happy ending.

He remembered the Vongola's ninth head visiting their house and he unlike his parallel version did not need to be sealed. He did not have the latent ability. Actually... Wasn't he the impostor?

He didn't have low self-esteem. He was just being honest. Sometimes, people don't have what it takes to survive. Nature doesn't make everyone equal. It just doesn't know what could work. But he? He can't survive on his own or help anyone.

There was a reason why he was called dame-Tsuna. No matter how hard he tried, he was just no good. It was something simple. But then he had to go get attached. He met all these amazing people. But even if he longed to stay by that side, he couldn't live like they were the only things holding his sanity.

Because... regardless of all the feelings they brought into him... they were people who were so dear to him and whose ties with him somehow came just a year or two ago.

He... doesn't have his mother, nor his father. He doesn't have a house or money to support himself. He doesn't have the skills to support himself and he had the knack to get into trouble. He missed about three months worth school despite lagging and he would be a middle school dropout if he can't pull himself together. Everything literally went up in flames- his identity certificates and documents, their savings, their documents of proof, bank account proofs and anything related to money was his dad's part in their family. His dad cut ties with them. It told that if he tried to fix it, he'd be Decimo.

He wasn't sure he could stay sane after another incident.

He didn't have wit, intelligence or physical prowess. What he had was what he learned to survive. And yet he can't do that properly. The skill he'd honed for ten years turned out to be more harmful. It would be even better if it at least was useful.

There are the results of some of them he wouldn't regret for the world, but his treasures got the bum end of the deal. They got the guilt of failing to help an idiot's impossible dreams and wishes.

He would desperately need help to just live another day with Byakuran at his heels. He doesn't know why the guy has an obsession with him... but the fact is, he does. Then there are people who hate his guts, which is everyone except a few people. Maybe it was just because he was just too pathetic to tolerate? Maybe because anytime he got into serious trouble, somehow it was his fault and that he can't get away from them with his own strength?

But how dependent can he be before his new bonds break? They met, shared and gave him humanity within the one year they met. But he couldn't protect his longer relations and they wouldn't know exactly what they're dealing with that his mother, his longest companion dealt with, using delusions. She couldn't deal with his reality nor her lover's reality, so how could he trust people he felt sure was seeing him through rose tinted glasses. And even if they saw him for what he was, how long can they live with a person who was death's best friend? This time he'd need to be completely supported to survive too.

Wouldn't it be stressful to live with a person drowning in negativity? He was paralyzed with fear. He couldn't fully trust anyone. He couldn't see the world as all sunshine and rainbows. He couldn't show any justification for his validation. The people he loved were people who could soar to the skies without him. He wasn't like the Tsunayoshi his parallel was. He didn't give people a place to belong, he was the shackles that bound them together.

If he had to live a world where he'd be visiting their graves or a world where they chose to be sane and leave him for the baggage he is... he'd much rather close his eyes and live the hell his mind put him in.

* * *

Hibari fumed as he pummeled Kusakabe to the ground with his tonfa as the other tenaciously begged him to return to the household to clean himself off the soot that covered him. He saw with his own eyes , the sight of Tsuna dropping to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut off. His blood raged as he scoured the town for anyone who could be the mole, based purely on his experiences.

Yamamoto had holed up in his father's dojo since that day and the Sasagawas religiously visited the hospital for the three intervals of a day. The brunette had slipped into shock and had been transferred to the ER. His pulse had gotten flat twice before miraculously coming back.

He couldn't sit still feeling that weak ever again.

But he eventually returned to the household to regroup his own resources. His father addressed him from the coffee table when he saw him at the doorway. They both looked like they had gotten no sleep.

He thought his father had something to address him regarding his conduct. But surprisingly it was his mother that called him out. She usually took his side when it came to making decisions, being an avid supporter of freedom.

"Kyoya. Drop the case.

There's nothing we can do for him now. We got back on the Gesso so people won't think about invading our territory. You got a lot of contacts when trying to pursue their boss, even getting the tentative partnership of the world's greatest hitman.

But Hibari... he's lost his family, his house, his property and he has no other guardians. He'd be going to the orphanage if he makes it out of the hospital.

And you know this right? Namimori doesn't have an orphanage."

Hibari glared at her, his hostility suffocating the room.

"We didn't win against Gesso, he held his threat even if we shut our support and got Tsunayoshi back to Namimori.

We promised to help him-"

"He's not a pet!

He needs a place to stay, medicine and therapy to treat his trauma and injuries. He needs people who can take care of his physical, mental and psychological well being. He needs someone to finance his education and he needs someone to help him fix the gap from his half a year vacation."

"Vacation?!-"

"That's what it's officially known as. We can't reveal the circumstances without endangering our standing and his well being. You know who he is and you know who he would be if his presence was publicized.

The Vongola ring rejected Federico and it rejected Xanxus. The Vongola is keeping things hush hush and if you try to make his leave, a period of medical absence, his records will go be present at the hospital. That can be attained by the people underground.

Kyoya, what we're doing is illegal. But we owe the child for the troubles he had to go through, even with our protection.

If we take him under our wing, he would get the same amount of scrutiny and trauma he would, as the last legitimate heir of Vongola. That's what all your actions that were taken as a consequence of his involvements lead to."

Kusakabe thought that was the first time he saw Hibari face defeat in his whole life. It was something odd to see the demon of Namimori have his hands tied and powerless to move and Hibari himself felt the chains that bound him.

The prefect originally thought of the brunette as an incompetent and someone who would get naturally eliminated. But he had known the other for all his life since he went on rounds to make a Namimori of his ideals. The other was infuriating in the way he'd show his town as something like a red light district for the darkness underneath the glamour and comfort. The brunette never relied on the DC committee he made for the purpose of keeping the innocent civilians safe. He had always acted that he was on his own, despite being powerless and it kept him frustrated and petulant.

When Tsuna finally acknowledged him, he felt so irrationally proud. He found a sort of respect of the companion that seemed to understand the darker nature of the people he wished, wasn't from experience. He always seemed to know which places had the most disgusting actions people did and he was usually the target. He was more street-wise smart that the prefect had been, despite spending most of his time outside, but the brunette never let him know his troubles.

Hibari wanted to see what could he achieve if people didn't trample on him until he was too exhausted to be productive but nothing he did, worked. It showed him a glimpse at a wider world, the world that seemed to let him borrow Tsuna to help in his growth, but not let him help the other in return.

He couldn't protect him when the brunette explicitly came to him for help. The problem's roots ran so deep the teen was out of his hands' reach. He found out exactly how powerless he was, as compared to the world... and he felt despair crushing him as he realized how close he was to losing his best friend to the claws of the world that belittled him.

"Kyoya...

There are times that you must accept a loss and gather whatever is left. Let Tsunayoshi go and make yourself stronger."

his father who held himself so powerfully said to the prefect who darkened at the suggestion. Kusakabe couldn't utter a word of consolation feeling equally frustrated.

* * *

He instead, spoke without a filter to Yamamoto who seemed to make his dad's dojo into his new room and holing himself there, unwilling to face the truth.

"Yamamoto-san, why are you practicing kendo now?" he wanted to think positively, but Tsuna's condition was getting worse and probably, no one would get another chance to harm the brunette.

"...Tsuna's got himself bedridden, fighting against something I can't swing my sword at to get rid off." he said bitterly and that confused the assistant prefect more.

"Then why?"

"I... can't sit still while he's fighting all alone there. You know, like in animes people can fight along by sending their spirit... or something, haha...

But to tell the truth, since you told me the whole story... My pops said he was an ex-assassin when I told him about... last week.

He told that when people in organizations couldn't do a thing, because of the fact that they were an organization and things ripple in those things...

People like my pops could easily take care of things to keep what they want safe. I wouldn't have believed it until I heard it from you right now that Hibari decided to drop the case. Don't get me wrong, I understand his reasons. I don't know what he would do next, but I wouldn't hate him for anything he would decide.

But I don't want Tsuna to refrain from asking me to help him out next time because I wouldn't be able to maneuver around with people or endanger myself.

I thought that if Tsuna had us, we would be his greatest strength. But as it turned out... we ended up his weakness that he had to choose methods he would never choose before to maintain our social position or keep us away from danger. But... ahaha... I thought I would take away the need to take that decision if I could be an assassin or a hitman. Because Tsuna's got himself entangled in a dangerous crowd.

And I still want to stay by his side, but I don't want him to push me away because it'll make me lose something.

He's my first friend and my best friend... But I don't want to go to his funeral."

Sasagawa Ryohei's hand glowed sun yellow, that or Kurokawa Hana was going crazy with the stress of being witness to her friend dying. In fact, she would vouch in that craze that he saved the brunette twice when his pulse dropped. The kid was always such a wimp, but he never deserved the shit others gave him. But the last straw was when Kusakabe said.

"Hibari-san's dropping the case."

She slapped him with tears of frustration.

"How could you?! Nana-san would never have committed suicide without that kind of provocation. You know that Tsuna was being threatened with that information! This was homicide!" she screamed at the cowardice the big bad demon of Namimori was showing.

"...The decision's made, Kurokawa-san. I just came to warn you that if you try to take the case further, the Hibari family will stop you."

She was going to tear her hair in the injustice of things. The guy wouldn't even explain his reasons. She felt a hand at her shoulder, to see a serious Ryohei speak to Kusakabe.

"Why did that guy do that?"

Kusakabe didn't want to reveal things to others, but since Tsuna had asked him among the three in particular, he couldn't keep the secret, at least completely.

"Sasagawa-san, Tsunayoshi-san is involved with a dangerous bunch that we couldn't protect him from. But if things get into records, he'd be in even bigger danger.

… I would suggest that if you want to protect your sister foremost, you should turn a blind eye to these things. Else you'd put your family in danger."

To Ryohei, Tsuna was someone he couldn't really understand. The brunette was usually quiet and didn't tell much about himself, even though he listened to them like a child in a candy store when they hung out in the terrace. He thought the other wasn't willing to share, but later he figured out the hard way that it wasn't that he wasn't willing to share, but it was more like he didn't have anything good to share.

Tsuna was weirdly naive in some ways. When he offhandedly remarked that scars were a sign of manliness, Tsuna joined him on the many invitations for boxing practice with a body that was previously spotless to something he literally shuddered at.

He couldn't even stop the other when he apologized over and over again like it was his fault when people had decorated him with it to chain him down. He didn't let him hide them because of his discomfort. He wasn't strong, often fainting in half an hour or an hour on the jogs and practices the other accompanied just because he had invited the other.

But Tsuna saw strength in people and tried to protect it. There was clear respect in his brown eyes as he sincerely looked up to his little sister. He learned to let her grow without smothering her with his 'protection'. The brunette looked at them like they hung the stars in the sky... like they were the only thing that made his day.

It was so obvious with the way his face dulled when they weren't around and the way it lighted up, his eyes sparkled when they entered his field of vision. But Ryohei wasn't satisfied with that. With that kind of guy who put his entire will to protect the ones he held dear, he should see the world where Hibari or Yamamoto didn't have to frown like he did every time someone got their claws on Tsuna and none of their skills or strengths were enough to pull the brunette free.

When the brunette asked him for help, he was determined to be a source of strength but found himself powerless in a world which muted and kidnapped Tsuna to a place he couldn't reach. His fists couldn't reach him and Hibari and Yamamoto were completely disarmed despite this problem being right up their area. The only thing he could do was tackle the brunette before he entered the collapsing house.

He promised his parents that he'd be there for Kyoko and he would protect her. But then if he was forced to choose between his sister and the kohai he was considering his little brother, could he even make that choice?

* * *

Back at Italy:

Lambo fidgeted at the opposite end of the table as Gokudera seemed lost in thought. He always thought that Reborn was a smug bastard who would always look like he had the world in his palms. He knew something went bad for the brunette but the guy was never sympathetic.

Hell, he didn't even know that his nii-san was acquainted with him. He wanted to talk about the weird atmosphere around the hitman at that time, still shocked at the broken poker face... but the bomber had this calculating look that he had when his curiosity was piqued that never spelled any good.

"Tsuna-nii sure has a lot of important contacts, doesn't he? He knows Reborn, Hibari's current head, that marshmallow head and you and me...

I was so convinced he was a civvie when we got kidnapped, ehehe" he blushed, embarrassed at his poor judgment.

"He's a civilian. His movements were untrained and he was full of openings" the silverette was so sure that the cow-teen argued by instinct, rather than anything else.

"But no normal civilian can have these contacts in the underground. Not to mention he's Iemitsu's son.

...Also, this might be a bit weird, but Tsuna-nii seems to see right through people with evil intentions and he always observes the surroundings even though his posture's relaxed."

"If you knew what all he had gone through, even you'd be like that.

But, even after days of what he told me when we were staying together... It's so unnatural- that level of bad luck I mean!

I've heard and seen the things he told me when we were talking about life around here. But really, those things happened to the people in these streets. But not everyone had gone through everything.

It's like he's born to be a punching bag or something!"

"I've seen him when he changed, Hayato-nii. These rooms aren't really big enough for the three of us when we were scouting..." the teen frowned, remembering how the other automatically seemed to search for something like a box before he came to some realization and wore the hospital gown.

"Namimori is that Hibari guy's territory right? What on earth is going on there?

It looks like it's a Shangrila or something. Their yakuza base itself was in the middle of a forest

...Do you think their officials- ah, I mean committee members are flaunting their authority or something- I mean, look, Tsuna-nii looks pretty weak right?"

"...I'm thinking about refusing to join Vongola."

"Eh?! Wasn't that your goal? You worked so hard to get there. You deserve to be in the best!-

Or is it that you wanna be a part of the Bovino? You've changed your mind?-"

"No, dumbass! Who'd want to be a part of the mafia through the connections of a kid?!

They won't even take me seriously if they had to recruit me because of your puppy eyes or something!"

"Hey! I'm 12 already! I'm just two years younger than you!

They can take me plenty serious! I'm the guy who's gonna take down Reborn-ossan after all!"

"Pfft, you wish!"

"Are you going to keep making fun of me or tell me why?" the teen pouted

"...You heard, right? Rumors that Federico-san was rejected by the rings. It just made me wonder, why wasn't Tsuna-sama's candidacy considered?

The other heirs were killed by Xanxus and he himself was rejected.

I thought I'd be deported to Japan... but Reborn-san refused the request Nono asked him.

I thought he deeply respected him and that he would accept a favor from him... At least that's what he told me when I asked."

"That's so nice, Hayato-nii.

When I ask that old man anything, he starts mocking me."

"That's because you're so disrespectful, aho-ushi!

...I...

...wanted to go to Japan. That whole conversation came up because I asked Reborn-san if I could go act as Tsuna-sama's bodyguard since I thought he'd be the candidate...

I don't want to entrust him in that place where that Hibari bastard rules! That's the place where he got all those bruises! Not to mention... when I think what the lion of Vongola had to do to exonerate Tsuna-sama from that position... I want to go to his side..." he mumbled, looking down.

Lambo bit his lips in worry. He wasn't sure if either of them could smuggle themselves to Namimori right now. The Hibari's seemed particularly hostile towards outsiders right now...

"Oi, Aho-ushi, Don't bother coming here for the next month or two.

I won't be here at that time."

The cow-teen looked at the silverette in alarm. He never liked that look. It spelled late nights hijacking jeeps to go to the spot where UFOs where sighted.

"Aho-dera... What are you planning...? Don't do anything reckless.

It's a turbulent time right now, with Vongola showing signs of slipping out of power for the first time in many years. You're gonna get caught in a power struggle."

"I already failed the last mission and that promise.

I might as well find what's actually going on." he said getting up to rummage over his mini-bombs.

Lambo looked a bit confused as to what he was planning on using it for. He looked around and focussed on the white owl that he had gotten so used to.

"Hey Hayato-nii! Stop it. You'll be doing treason-"

"Aho-ushi, I'm going to refuse to be a part of the famiglia. That won't be the case."

"You're going to make them an enemy?!"

"Like I've got anything to lose."

"Like hell! You've got -" he scrambled to take the bomb from his grasp, but the other was strong and he closed the windows and moved towards the perch, which was enclosed in a cage. When he was just about to ignite it.

* * *

Mist slowly shrouded the room and the raven-haired boy loosened his grip in unease.

"Kufufu, you want to kill me even if I was helping you out?

That's so cruel of you. But, that's what I would expect from a mafioso."

It seemed they had company, one that was apparently eavesdropping on them the whole time.

Gokudera looked enraged as he charged forward, only to have his hand swish right through the other in what he wanted to be a choke-hold.

"Who on earth are you, you bastard?!"

"I'll make an exception to introduce myself, to make us even... especially, since I know about you guys, quite... extensively, kufufu.

But then again, Tsunayoshi-kun ran his mouth about my identity to you already."

"...That pineapple head...

You're Rokudo Mukuro."

Lambo could have sworn that was the exact instant where Mukuro's vein popped.

"Really? After the whole story, he said, that was what made the best impression of me?"

"Well people don't really describe others as a pineapple..."

… and he wasn't helping the cause, was he? They really didn't have the time to fight right now, since whatever they were planning, it involved getting information that was related to Reborn and he would catch them fast if they didn't hurry.

"Say, why were you spying on us anyway? We didn't have anything major to do with the mission."

The silverette latched on to the questioning and gave a question from his side too.

"You want our cooperation, right? Tsuna-sama told us that you were a distinguished illusionist. And based on what I've seen so far, the fact's true. There was no need to show yourself to us in the first place.

I suggest you give us answers if you want us to move our muscles for you."

"Kufufufu. If I wanted your bodies, I could have possessed it before I uttered a single word."

'Yeesh! Wasn't there a better way of putting that?' Lambo thought, but just then-

His body convulsed and he stood straighter, with his head too dazed to think straight. He distantly felt the point of what was a trident, his mind told seeing the gold weapon casually handled by the illusionist.

Gokudera instinctively threw his bombs at the illusionist, only to see them turn into pencils and he realized that his weapon had been an illusion all this time. He had taken the pencils thinking they were bombs, seeing them as bombs.

They were completely in his battlefield, completely under his mercy and it made the bomber curse himself at his carelessness.

"This trident is laced with poison, that can make things easy for you. Kufufu, after all... there's no stress in being one of my personal puppets."

"...What do you want, pervert?"

Mukuro spluttered and Lambo side-eyed him.

'If you didn't want to be known as that you should seriously choose your words better.'

"It's quite simple. I want to unearth the motivations behind Byakuran and Reborn."

They looked confused, not expecting to hear both their names in one sentence. Weren't they on opposite sides of the mission. Reborn was hired to find and protect Tsuna, but Byakuran seemed to want to hurt the brunette as deeply as possible. What could they both have in common?

"Your thoughts are being shown on your faces. Honestly, you three are an open book...

There's no helping it. Let me enlighten you, and free you from your insufferable ignorance."

"Get on with it!"

"So impatient!

You heard of my past, haven't you? Tsunayoshi told me that he would take care of things from there and that things wouldn't be traced back to the others... But I couldn't believe that he could have pulled it off that easily. Things never went that smoothly.

I searched for rivals of the Estraneo, and found a famiglia that flourished from the revelation. They were my target- the Gesso. But the famiglia was strange. Their head is a 14-year-old and the famiglia was new but suddenly, they have the power that could rival the Vongola?

It was suspicious. He wouldn't have been a figurehead. Their policies had changed so vigorously. Their technology was vastly superior and there's only one person right now that could rival his intelligence, and that wouldn't be Giannini from Vongola.

It surprised me that, that the Gesso Mafioso would go through the extent of redirecting the traffic through the Gesso networks to bring no suspicion towards Tsunayoshi. I couldn't 'convince' him to let me know who had the link to that mafioso from Namimori though.

But mafioso always play dirty, there was no surprise there.

But it's not like they could leave their toy alone. I actually wanted to possess you when I heard Tsunayoshi-kun tell that he was to kill you. I had gained intel from looking at his folder in the Gesso's abandoned helicopter. I was the pilot there after all.

But, I never knew that he had to be escorted on what was essentially a suicide mission. All I knew was that the Gesso had deployed a helicopter in a period where the Hibari was being extremely vigilant on one territory in particular. It's just as you said, he has amazing relations.

Amazing relations that would let a mafia family gallop all over their lawn and take a civilian from their territory without a second glance." he mocked.

Apparently, Gokudera wasn't the only one with a grudge against Hibari.

The silverette asked, confused at a particular statement the illusionist said.

"If you infiltrated among-st their ranks couldn't you have searched Byakuran yourself?"

"Easier said than done. The Hibari group are nothing but hypocrites, hiring Reborn... You know, that guy shoots any Gesso member on sight?

That threw a wrench in my plan."

Gokudera gaped. So that's why he had so much trouble keeping the Gesso members alive to carry the transmitter... It only brought more questions.

"But his mission was to find Tsuna and bring him to Namimori..."

"That's why I asked you to help me investigate his motives. It seems like he has got external motivations here-"

* * *

"That won't be required, Rokudo Mukuro."

The three looked shocked at the unexpected visitor, the one they least expected would turn up. There he was in his suited glory, the devil spawn himself- the greatest hitman in the world, Reborn.

"I'm not a fan in dragging the inevitable. Besides, things have gone too far and it's time I make my move. I'll tell you everything, for once. I've done it once in Japan anyway."

He looked serious, but there was the willpower he was so famous for. The three teens listened in rapt attention.

"We, the Arcobaleno and Byakuran Gesso have been stuck in a cycle that we... couldn't bear to leave as it is. We have been willingly reversing time with the technology that we had made... approximately a millennium, maybe, ago."

Gokudera jerked forward, unwilling to believe what he heard. But Mukuro beat him to the exclamation.

"Time Travel? What nonsense!"

"Oh? But the ability to regain your memories and visit hell is not?"

"How do you know that?! The only ones who know that-"

"It's because I've lived through your explanations and Tsuna's explanations. I've heard it over and over again."

Gokudera asked, his scientifically curious mind couldn't contain itself.

"How is that possible? Who made that technology at that time? What are the principles behind it?"

"This is inside secrets, but it's because of something called the Dying will flames. They're a manifestation of your last regrets. There are 7 types- sky, lightning, storm, mist, rain, cloud, sun. It's present for every living being that doesn't want to die.

I'm oversimplifying things and if you don't want me to get to the main point you can stop me." he warned them, not interested in dealing with their interruptions. They should be grateful that he's spoon feeding them.

"On top of that, there were three major power sources that were the representatives of this- the Vongola, the Millefiore which is what the Gesso famiglia would be in the future and the Arcobaleno.

The Millefiore had the ability to move through parallel dimensions. The Arcobaleno had the ability to sustain life and more importantly move between time on certain conditions... and finally, the Vongola had the ability to gain their strength through their prowess in time.

It's a natural phenomenon in our universe, but it's understandable if you never knew about it. It was a well-guarded secret."

The bomber was, at this point, the only one not overwhelmed by the information. He knew the main questions weren't answered yet and if they didn't seize this opportunity, they would be forever the puppets of the two groups.

"So... basically you used your Arcobaleno powers to move through time?"

"Not really. The Arcobaleno more or less are people away from the influence of time, and so can't manipulate it like that. That's a bit more in Vongola's territory.

But it was done since Byakuran took the power of the triniscette and is moving through the timeline with the help of that. But it's not him alone. Since it had our part of the power, we also help him to move across the timeline.

It's branching because of the Millefiore's power of parallel dimensions and the maximum depth we could travel to would be from the Vongola's power."

"So that marshmallow stole your powers from right under your nose? The world's greatest hitman couldn't beat him?", the illusionist mocked.

"We weren't having the Arcobaleno pacifiers back then. It was with the Vindice. Tsuna helped us out to free us from the Arcobaleno's curse. Byakuran just got it from the Vindice. They cooperated with his plan, just like we did."

"You cooperated? Even though that was the guy who could share things in parallel universes? Isn't that stupid?"

"There was already one Byakuran who was the mastermind of that in a branch. Tsuna defeated him and we brought order across the universes. The other Byakurans didn't want to do the same thing all over."

"I'm having a hard time imagining Tsunayoshi defeating anyone or having the power to do something like removing a curse or whatever.

But anyway, why did this Byakuran try to take control then?"

Reborn looked defeated. It was a look that didn't fit him and it made them tense up.

"It was because of Tsuna's death or maybe it was because of his life.

Tsuna... was a civilian in our first loop. He was a bartender at Italy. He said that he needed time away from Japan and the scenery was beautiful whenever we asked why he moved all the way there. It was a cozy little bar that was one of our greatest comfort. He was great company and he never pried.

It started with Aria, our sky...

He left a mark in our hearts and he was the friend Aria could share all her secrets with. But she had been dying and she had a small daughter, Yuni who would get the curse of the sky arcobaleno and would die as early as she would have if not for...

He played matchmaker between Aria and Gamma, her bodyguard. We never thought they would ever get together, with her guilt. But they did and she looked happier than she ever did and Yuni had gotten attached to him and he became their impromptu baby sitter.

Fon came to the bar to thank the Tsuna but stayed because of the relaxed atmosphere and the teas he could brew. His disciple I-pin had mistaken the location of her target and came to the bar, mistaking a patron for her target who had a fair amount of connections to make I-pin's life tougher and would need the full concentration of Fon who had a lot at his plate back then. He had diverted the blame for the assassination from her to himself. Now that I think about it, that should have been our first sign that something was wrong.

Mammon had come next asking about the price to keep silent and demanding discounts on the bribe she had to give, but he waved it off, saying it was nothing from the ordinary. She refused to accept that and kept coming back to force him into accepting. Later on, it just became a excuse to visit. But she never liked how Fon called her out on it every time they had met there in coincidence.

My lackey- oh right, you don't know, Skull met Tsuna through a literal accident. One of his stunts made him crash right into the bar. He found him cool since the other wasn't fazed at the hole in the wall or the screaming customers. He even treated that idiot and gave him a treat- on the house- apparently. There's the saying right, if you give an inch, they'll take a mile? Yeah, my lackey did exactly that and started bringing Tsuna to his stunt shows and many of them were disasters. But he wouldn't listen to Mammon or Fon's advice to stop indulging him to lessen the injuries, but he never listened...

Lal Mirch and Colonello visited him on the blond idiot's suggestion. Lal wanted to beat him into shape looking at all the injuries that he got, from what we had assumed to be from Skull's stunt shows, but he never explained himself and the idiot kept flirting with her. Tsuna seemed to be present in the worst of places at the worst timings as we later found out... as he stumbled across Colonello lying at the corner of an alley with his wounds quite severe. When he contacted Lal, she refused to listen to reason and was inconsolable. That was also when we met one of you guys, we met you, Gokudera and you'd brought Colonello to Shamal who made an exception for Tsuna, an apparent regular. He had told Lal that if she was so afraid to lose him, she ought to treasure the time she had taken for granted. Mammon deeply appreciated the blackmail she could get from a red faced Lal and that grinning idiot.

Verde came on Aria's prodding when Gokudera was visiting him. They hit it off with long debates. On other times, Irie Shoichi, Byakuran's right hand then and Spanner, his mechanic came to the bar. That inventor used to visit for those nerd meetups. Tsuna's circle had a lot of people who were very talented in their field as we later met and got introduced to... The place became important to us and it was centered around him- the place where misfits belonged.

I was the last one to come to the bar. I had used it as a camouflage for a lot of my missions that somehow made it become convenient for hideouts and scouting. We had casual conversations and he helped inform me if my targets were spotted nearby. We had gotten close slowly. I told him my real name, how the arcobaleno curse worked like, what I wanted to do after we break the curse. He told me about his past, how he was bullied until high school, how he wasn't really good at anything and how he got his treasures- Hibari Kyoya, Yamamoto Takeshi, Sasagawa Ryohei and his sister and her friend from the place he had considered hell. He told about how the bar's first customers Bovino Lambo and Gokudera Hayato became the reason he decided to keep being a bartender and another treasure in a chest that seemed to be ever growing. He told me about Rokudo Mukuro and Nagi... " he ignored how the illusionist shuttered minutely at the name.

"...I was also the first one to know when things had gotten worse.

It could be because the place was so cozy that we all made it a nest... but it started getting targeted and in particular, the one in focus was Tsuna. I tried convincing him to change locations, but he refused because of the emotional connection we all made with it. He said he didn't have the money to change the place. We wanted to arm the place, but that would make it stand out even more. So we hired spies with the additional skills of bodyguards. But they were killed so easily. We didn't want to cage him in a place since it was a problem with no solutions. But we didn't want to leave... since we both mutually found each other as something precious. Tsuna had no aptitude for fighting, no matter how much Fon, Lal, Colonello and I tried. Verde didn't consider it as serious of a problem, naively thinking that we could handle whatever they could throw at us- we were the best seven people of the world after all- until they burned down the bar...

They could rebuild it, but Tsuna's hand got burned to its nerves and he couldn't lift a shake to make any blend...

He never blamed us, and instead invited us to visit his home saying he needed a break anyway. We met his mama- I mean his mother, Sawada Nana... Sorry, old habits die hard. She grew on us with her optimistic cheeriness. She took on Tsuna until Verde could make a prosthetic limb or reculture tissues to surgically reconnect his nerves. But then, his body didn't accept any tissues artificially synthesized and the nerve connections with the artificial limbs never got fully connected. He had to be drugged constantly and he was delirious with fever. Eventually, the plan had to get scrapped, especially since the Sawada house got burnt to the ground when we weren't there.

Byakuran at that time started getting worried at all the bad luck Tsuna was getting and started going after power, thinking that he could intimidate the people to try this into silence. We didn't agree. I remember Tsuna giving me a pained smile throughout what happened afterwards.

Tsuna was taken into Yamamoto's custody, Takeshi waved all of his reservations and worries away. But then... he died. Some muggers at Namimori ambushed Tsuna and he took the blow for him. Sasagawa Ryohei found him at the middle of the alley covered in the blood of four people, as he fought until his last breath. He had been inconsolable and he had spent the whole time that day apologizing to his father, blaming himself.

The Sasagawas took him into custody next and they too... died. Sasagawa Kyoko had been caught by the momokyokai yakuza. They... fancied her... Tsuna found out and reached the location far too late. Ryohei who had noticed the desperate look on his face followed him there and had gotten enraged. Hibari showed up when Tsuna had been next... and the grounds turned into a blood fest.

Tsuna left Namimori thinking that he had made the prefect into a serial killer. But in the underworld, there isn't the law that governs the balance of the world... there are people who can balance it with their lives. But he never could accept it...

Gokudera started following Tsuna since he never accepted the request to stay with you... He had been traumatized by what had happened and the circumstances they had happened in. He asked you to leave him alone, that nothing good would happen with trying to protect him... But you didn't listen and... you died in the crossfire by a suicide bomb.

Tsuna started wearing a white suit from then, telling me that if black was such a gloomy color, it's opposite must be the culmination of all positive things... the things that the people who died represented to him. He wanted to wear it, in the memory of his loved ones.

Nagi died next... by drug overdose, since Tsuna got shifted to a shady hospital from the one we put him in for a psychological checkup. She found out that he was taken to the hospital and sneaked in with Mukuro who had insisted on following her, since it was a place that had given her trauma... Tsuna had been made a guinea pig for their experiments, ones that were more potent than opium...

Mukuro killed them all, but the building had been victim to a small earthquake and it toppled the drug filled cabinets and fell all on top of Nagi... and none fell on Tsuna."

Mukuro's breath shortened as he squeezed his eyes, willing himself to listen further.

"When you ran to remove the cardboards, shoving Tsuna to the door... the floor cracked and buried you deep inside. You suffocated to death since your trident had been with Tsuna. He couldn't have known how to use it, but you wanted him to use it for self defense but he couldn't make his muscles point it to anyone on instinct.

Tsuna refused to come with anyone from then. He told us that he was done with us. He wanted us to hate him and leave him. It was so obvious, with his words not matching his body posture or expression. But he had a tough time pushing people away and Lambo took advantage of that, latching on to his side. Tsuna ran at the sight of him from then, but you took it as an elaborate hide and seek game. He approached me to keep you away from him, lest he brought you to the middle of a shootout like Gokudera. I agreed since I wanted to be paranoid until I figured out what was going on. But you used your ten year bazooka on yourself in a struggle... and you never came back. I was confused then, but I know the reason now. It was because of our decision.

Unless we give up on doing another time loop, the future ten years later would never exist. That's why... I forbade you from using it."

Lambo looked shocked, since all his guesses were wrong and the truth implied was much, more darker.

* * *

"Tsuna had been taken in by the Vindice for questioning. But what came from there was a type of camaraderie between them. Oh right, the head of the Vindice was also an Arcobaleno so he vaguely knows whats happening in the time loop, just for your information.

He thought that if he went back to Namimori he would endanger Hibari, but then the guy came an visited himself. He thought that the prefect would never leave Namimori but he came and told Tsuna, updated about the current situation that no herbivore can get him.

But Hibari didn't visit Tsuna in Italy and it was usually the other way around, so he never knew about the regulars of the bar. So when Shamal entered the renovated bar, drunk as he could ever be, Hibari attacked thinking he was a mafioso aiming at Tsuna's life and got stung by a mosquito in Shamal's self defense."

Gokudera gasped as he didn't expect it was Shamal, a guy he begrudgingly respected as his teacher to be the reason for the death of someone the brunette considered special. It felt like it was him betraying the other.

"Shamal couldn't save him, his trident mosquito poison being too potent. That night, Tsuna had chosen to get shit-faced drunk to my chagrin. He wailed like a baby and then looked at the grape juice and orange juice at the cabinet he stocked for when Lambo came. You were always a lightweight."

"Oh shut up."

"He told me that there was a way to break the arcobaleno's curse, telling me that we could make the Vindice cap the pacifiers with their flames that could be generated inexhaustibly... even though it was no time to be worrying about others. He ran around the whole night contacting people and refused to listen to me when I said that it was impossible. He gave me an apologetic smile and told me that was all he could ever do for them... I wanted to punch him, back then.

I suggested that I could tell Talbot about the plan when the Vindice agreed, apparently satisfied at taking revenge against Checkerface, the guy who gave us the curse by removing the control from his hands.

Tsuna looked so lively that night that I forgot to take proper caution, with his joy infecting me with hope...

That's why when a week later Talbot removed the pacifiers along with the weight we thought we had to carry all our lives, we had been happy enough to remove all worries from our mind. Byakuran had visited us that night with sweets to celebrate the occasion."

Reborn paused then, and they looked at him with baited breaths. But the hitman refused to speak. Lambo got irritated, but before he said a thing, Reborn continued.

"Among the boxes we were opening, one made us lose all our appetite. It was two eyes with a blazing gold. It was something that made us proud when he felt the confidence he rarely got...

it was Tsuna's eyes.

We left the place scrambling towards the location that was left as the 'gift's' label. It was a small abandoned building which had the distinct smell of corpses.

We hoped that it was just the eyes that were taken. Because revenge otherwise, would have felt so empty. It was a selfish request. We had robbed his sight, his hands, his friends, his house, his mother and father, and we knew he still had things left -he still had six other senses they could fight to protect.

The friend who had given everything they wished for and got nothing... no, nothing would have been better... he almost had nothing left. People he cared about died left and right... and he only wished for their safety.

But the way we found him- drowned in a pool of blood that was extracted from the rotting corpses of the people we wished we could have protected...

We later found that the graves had been desecrated. Tsuna's expression still haunts me and I know from his agony filled look that they had filled the tank right in front of him...

I always remember him with a pained smile or a tear filled face...

That day, Byakuran wanted the power of the triniscet to change the status quo. He wanted justice. We accepted his proposal for that purpose. This time, he wanted to make Tsuna the new Decimo and make him used to the underworld and vice versa... Because then, they wouldn't try to remove him as an outlier and we can protect him better...

Through the time loops, we realized the true situation of things, through countless experiments. Sawada Tsunayoshi is something of a Zashiki Warashi to this timeline. That is, he's an existence that gives good luck to others at the cost of his own life. Those that try to protect him will lose their life in consequence.

Knowing this, will you still try to protect him?"


	15. The turnabout

A/N: By the way, just to say something,

The title, Phoenix Tears has a reason behind it, even if the name is tacky.  
The Phoenix is a mythical bird that is a symbol of resurrection. So it's a bird that revives from its death. I think you would get why is it called Phoenix tears if you can sympathize or empathize with Tsuna.  
Hope you like the story ^^

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Turnabout**

Kusakabe followed the demon of Namimori like a shadow. He didn't know what he could say to the other. Reborn had gathered them at the chairman's office, much to Hibari's annoyance and revealed something that horrifying like it was it was everyday's business. Hibari didn't say anything, like the others who fell silent after hearing it. Yamamoto looked conflicted while Ryohei looked devastated.

He understood the unanswered question, the hitman asked, not expecting to get any answers.

The two were patrolling Namimori like usual and the prefect performed his duties like clockwork. It made him worried but he could provide no answers or suggestions to the dilemma. Tsuna's condition was slowing getting worse as the doctors said there were no signs that the boy would awake anytime soon. They were planning on transferring him to another hospital for further treatment.

It felt like things were going on according to the psychotic script Reborn narrated. The boy would be kidnapped in the hospital for some unprofessional treatment or would get buried in medicine and die of an overdose or from the weight of debris...

Either way, he was not a part of Namimori anymore, legally speaking. So if Hibari pursued him further after knowing what the price of getting involved with the brunette was... he'd be in an unhealthy relationship- one that his parents and his uncle advised against.

He was in the room, trying to hide the tonfas with the chains from the prefect's field of view. The other was fuming from the unexpected appearance of an unwanted visitor. Said visitor was sitting on a sofa near the coffee table, sipping tea.

"What are you doing here? I told you that you are forbidden from entering my territory." Hibari growled.

Unfazed, his visitor, Fon replied,

"I heard Reborn visited you. I suspect he told you everything. It makes things much more complicated."

"If you are so worried about the mafia involving themselves because of the Arcobaleno, you shouldn't have come here."

"Kyo-san is right, Fon-san... With news that two Arcobaleno visited Namimori, people will start to imagine things... We just got an issue under control... Even though...

It leaves a bitter aftertaste..."

"I'll take responsibility for that, don't worry. You won't expect any problems from the Arcobaleno, at least."

Kusakabe felt the prefect bristle, though he couldn't fault him in it. He felt the same.

"...What are you implying, Fon-san?" he asked coldly.

"Nothing will happen as long as you don't get involved with Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Are you telling us to turn a blind eye? We are responsible for the safety of Namimori citizens."

"He has no family or relation or proof that he is Namimori's citizen. He is no longer your responsibility, luckily enough. As expected of him...

You better cut your losses. You can get stronger from this experience. I'm sure Tsunayoshi-kun will accept your decision. He won't hold any grudges.

After all, he's just one person in billions. There's no reason to get stuck on him alone.

You should focus on the bigger picture, and extend your reach- instead of focussing your efforts on the one anomaly that doesn't fit in your system.

So Kyoya... don't do anything reckless."

Kusakabe couldn't keep his rage in control

"How can you even suggest abandoning him? Betraying him like that-"

"When it costs your life in return, there's no way that this kind of relationship is healthy. If he doesn't even consider it a betrayal, why does it matter if you choose to do so?-"

"As if I can use the opinion of the guy who thinks it's normal to treat him like trash. If you looked at the way he treats us, like as if our company is the greatest thing we could give him-!"

"It's fine, isn't it? He's satisfied with just that."

"How can we even forgive ourselves for doing that to him?"

"Why? It's not even your fault-"

"It's not fair. He doesn't even know what its like to live a peaceful life-"

"Is it fair that you guys have to suffer in his stead? Or what? You would struggle and protect him to keep him obliviously happy? I doubt there's something crueler that you can do to him..."

"Why are you so persistent about this, Fon-san?! Do you hate him enough to want to make him suffer like this?!"

"He'd die anyway if you leave him alone. I don't have to lift a finger.

But Kusakabe-kun... if he's the reason my nephew and you would have to die, I can't keep silent"

"...what would he have left if we just ...upped and left?"

"...you two have people who will be sad if you died. You have people who support you- the DC committee, your parents, the people from the Hibari organization, the Sasagawas, the Yamamotos...

Treat your lives more preciously."

"...what about... Tsuna?"

"His mother wouldn't have left him if she couldn't trust him to do fine by himself. The only one who can take his life is the world itself, and not even he himself can take that away from it. Besides, he's strong to be fine after all those things had happened to him.

He'll be fine even if you guys didn't meddle in his business. I'm not telling to stop being his friend... I'm just telling you to not accept any responsibility."

"What?... You...

How can you even...?"

"I'm telling you this because this is the optimal way of going about things. We have tried so many times to help him. But it's just impossible. Even, so... there are still things I can protect.

If my request is such a heavy burden... I'll carry the weight of the responsibility for you...

So...please... listen to me for just this time... in this lifetime..."

* * *

He still hated the fact that Hibari didn't say a thing during the entire conversation. But it wasn't the prefect only. He couldn't stay still after the conversation and ended up going to Takesushi to see Yamamoto staring at a baseball bat, holding a baseball uniform in his armpit.

He must have let out his feelings out in the open because his disapproving glare immediately caught the attention of Yamamoto who gave him an apologetic smile.

"It's rare to see you without Hibari-san.

...Want to have some sushi? My treat?"

He accepted, intending on questioning the jock's actions. But he couldn't get his words out. Something was stopping him, maybe it was his own fear.

"Lately I've been out of my game. Pops called me out during kendo practice.

'You can't even cut tofu with your blade' Ahahaha, he doesn't hold back any punches... Huh? That doesn't sound right. He doesn't hold back any swings? Wait, that doesn't make things any better..."

Well, at least the conversation was affecting him that much-

"You know that my mom died when I was in elementary right?... Pops was bawling that night. It looked funny. I've never seen him like that, with his snot overflowing- he looked like a small kid.

He clung to my pants and forced me to make a pinky promise to never die. Ahaha, I'm definitely going to swallow a thousand needles for that. Ahahaha...

It was a scene that I could never forget... I should never forget... But somehow I did... funny how life works, right? I remembered it in the worst moment... right on the roof...

...But you know... I'm never going to regret making that promise.

…

…

…

I never did tell you guys... but my Pops didn't tell me he was an assassin when I told him I wanted to protect Tsuna. Tsuna... he... has quite the reputation in Namimori... So, of course, Pops told me to not to...

Sorry, I've strayed from what I wanted to originally say. I've become the master of the Shigure Soenn Ryuu, and I feel bad for Pops for going through all that trouble for nothing.

But... I'm going to continue with baseball... because I can't bear a future where Pops will have to attend another funeral... and I can't bear... a future where...

I would have a grudge against Tsuna for inevitably being a cause for my Pops' death..."

It was a bitter feeling that he couldn't muster to find the courage to see if there was another person who could help the brunette. Especially since Sasagawa Kyoko was the treasure of her brother and her best friend. He couldn't risk the chance otherwise... not when he himself couldn't stand for the friend who would select the choice they couldn't, for the people who wouldn't do the same thing for him.

To think that they were once the people who told him, who conveyed to him that he wouldn't be alone anymore and that he could rely on them... that they wouldn't leave him all alone... that they would be a permanent addition in his life...

He never liked agreeing with Tsuna's thoughts on these things. He wouldn't start today.

* * *

He brought himself to stop the oppressing negative thoughts from burrowing into his being. So he asked the prefect walking in front of him.

"Kyo-san... what's on today's agenda? This doesn't seem like the usual route we walk through."

"I found the mole. So I'm biting him to death."

So he was planning on tying up the loose ends from the Gesso incident. It made Kusakabe a bit envious. He kinda wanted to not be the only one seemingly stuck on the brunette. Maybe it was because it felt like it was injustice on his part. Because, if they were going to do this to him, it would have been much better that they treated him like the people in Namimori.

Somehow, somewhere down the line, the people he considered a devil for doing such cruel things to the brunette ended up switching roles with them... Now wasn't that ironical?

The first thing Hibari did when he spotted his target was to throw the tonfa right at him. It was expected, but so sudden that the assistant didn't have the time to try calming the prefect or warn the victim.

Said person, had unfortunately turned around at the exact moment -and had their first kiss taken by metal.

"Irie Shoichi, I'll bite you to death for endangering the life of a Namimori citizen."

Kusakabe inspected the down boy.

"Kyo-san, I don't think he'd be up for round two."

"Tch. Herbivore."

Hibird definitely agreed with that as it perched on the boy's head chirping out Herbivore to rub salt into wounds. It chanted it as the assistant dragged the ginger-haired boy to the DC committee room.

Kusakabe looked at the fainted boy with slight panic,

'Come on Irie-san, if you don't wake up now Hibari-san will throw the brewed tea on you.'

Hibari seemed to be losing his patience by the moment as he threw glances at the cooing teapot and at the unconscious boy every so often.

Thankfully Irie woke up by some miracle and let a shriek that could contest Tsuna's.

"What- Where am I?! Hibari-san!-"

"For collaborating with the Italian Mafia, herbivore... I'll bite you to death."

Hibari was not making whatever information extraction process he wanted to do any easier, not that the screaming Shoichi making things any easier.

"Kyo-san, maybe you should explain the situation to calm him down so that you can interrogate him."

"Hn. During close inspection, we found traces of communication with the hibird bots."

Kusakabe looked at the ginger-haired boy in shock, putting things together. When Hibari was out and he had enlisted the help of the technician, he had given him free reigns to map out Namimori for a test-run that time. So then...

"Irie-san, were you responsible to deliver the letter to Tsuna-san?! And the documents to-"

It was a horrible thought, accusing a student of such a heinous act.

"N-no! Byakuran had forced me to do that. I was being threatened-"

Hibari didn't want to hear such bullshit.

"There was no loss for you. You could have simply told us if you had such threats. You were the only point of contact and the only point of information that Byakuran could use to get anything from Namimori.

This is my territory."

A dark aura flooded the room. Hibari was fuming.

"I don't even know anything about this 'Tsuna-san'-

I only recently found that he was a mafia member after he hijacked the bots. I thought we were both robot enthusiasts-"

"I doubt he would have told you he was a mafia member if he didn't trust you. You would just have thought he was a hacker when someone would have tried this. Not to mention...  
You concealed the information from us when we were seeking it. We did ask you to inspect all our communication sources before when we needed to find the sources that he would have taken. To which you had the audacity to say that nothing had been taken over.

If our technicians had looked it over then, they could have come with the same conclusion that they did today- it was hacked."

"No, Hibari-san! It wasn't like that! I didn't know he had hacked it then-"

"So, somehow at the most convenient time, you did not know your own bots were hacked, but later you found it out and kept quiet because let me put it in your own words-

'Byakuran had forced you to do that and threatened you' but never thought of telling us of it?

Yet you sing these things when I force the tonfa down your throat?"

"I thought he needed my help on it. I was just helping a friend in need. He looked desperate. I couldn't leave him alone."

"A likely story. Hmph. And why would you accept to hand deliver a letter from a mafia boss to the one kid who had the reputation of being the weakest person in Namimori?

Even if you didn't know anything about him being a mafia boss, from the rumors and the disappearance of the kid for two-three months didn't leave you with any suspicions and even got you delivering documents to the same kid's mother?"

"Just because I'm the only one who had contact with him doesn't mean I delivered the letters or documents."

"'the letters and documents'? Why it seems like you know what happened to the Sawadas.

Those months had no traffic from Italy, as traced from our 'collaboration' with the VPN service providers. You knew of the entire plan.

I suspect you've been a partner rather than a lackey in this case. You even call him by his first name without any suffixes, you must be close to him. Close enough to not even tell the truth when I've caught you red-handed."

"Irie-san... why did you help Byakuran if you knew what he was? You couldn't have possibly thought that he had anything other than nefarious intentions..."

"I don't know what you are talking about-"

"There's no need to play dumb. If I just wanted to bring order, I wouldn't even tell you anything. I have enough evidence to bring you to jail for assisted murder. You do realize that you played a big part in this crime right? To drive a person to suicide, and bring another person close to death. It would be attempted murder in his case.

Even if its friendship, I hardly think you would blindly follow a person even if it meant going into jail. I think you would know this, but he'll not be going to jail for this since we don't have the connections to bring him into the light. At least, not yet.

But, I'm sure the Vindice will take care of him... if I produce the proof. Proof that you have hidden. Don't tell me you're willing to sacrifice yourself just to help your friend?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Irie-san... don't tell me you plan on taking this to court? Why would you be willing to risk it all for that guy?"

Hibari decided to give a guess, unwilling to lose his only link on this.

* * *

"Reborn already told us about what Byakuran is willing to do."

"Kyo-san?" the assistant looked at the other, perplexed at the words he said. What did Irie have to do with their talk?

"...you guys don't know a thing. I heard the whole thing by hijacking the DC committee computer."

"What! When?!" the assistant exclaimed, alarmed.

"When you told me to hurry and finish the model hibird bots in the DC committee room. Sorry about that, Kusakabe-san."

Hibari brought the conversation back to speed.

"I know you heard that. That's why I brought you here in the first place. I wanted to hear your motivations."

"We're friends. Friends help each other."

"You're one of the guardians of the Millefiore. You're one of the people who were in this time loop phenomenon, as that hitman called it."

"What?- Shit! I gave myself out with the Reborn thing, huh? I never get used to this... I swear...

Why do you need my opinion? I'm pretty sure you can ask the other Arcobaleno like your uncle or Byakuran himself..."

"Because, if I'm correct... you're not playing for that marshmallow bastard's team."

The two looked at him in shock.

"...W-what makes you think that?"

"Kyo-san, if he was responsible for the letters and the documents, why would you think that?"

"Because of the fact that Tsunayoshi is being transported to the very hospital that he had been kidnapped in the 'previous timeline'."

"How do you figure that?"

"It's the same timeline, not a parallel universe. So it's a hospital which is susceptible to an earthquake, can have an earthquake and have a suspicious background with those rumors around it. It should also have smuggled goods in.

I can get that information easily since, due to your famiglia's shenanigans I ended up having ties to the underworld."

"...But what does that have to do with anything?"

"The only people with that knowledge is us, the Arcobaleno and the Millefiore. I did not pay for the additional treatment or approve of it, neither did the Hibari family."

he continued with a quiet voice.

"Neither did the Sasagawas nor the Yamamotos."

"But then, Byakuran or the Arcobalenos could do it. Byakuran is trying to get Tsunayoshi-kun into the mafia and the Arcobaleno have been trying to prevent you guys- "

"Precisely. The other two groups have been stuck in an infinite loop because of the reason that they can't accept Tsunayoshi's death. It would make no sense that they would put him in a hospital that could have resulted in his death."

"So why me?"

"Because you're the only other person who has indirect contact with him, being the mole. So I wanted to hear your intentions."

"...Here I was thinking I would be bitten to death."

"Hmph. There's no worth in biting you to death."

"...Why are you doing this? Haven't you been warned against trying to help Tsunayoshi-kun?"

"That's why I'm doing this. Especially since the warning is from the very groups that can't even bring themselves to stop the cycle and they act like hypocrites blaming each other when none of them can abandon him.

Not to mention... it irritates me."

Kusakabe looked at Hibari in awe, understanding dawning upon him.

'Reborn-san said that since the Vongola were killed... we were killed the cycle depended on the other two...

Since the Arcobaleno is preventing the very guardians of the Vongola from protecting...him...-'

"You're the only one who's actively trying to kill him right now."

"...You guys always try to help him. That's why we have to do the cycle all over again. It's because when you die, the people close to you guys die also trying to help him because you guys died for him.

If he dies without you guys... you act like as if the very life has been sucked out of you. I mean, he always dies in the most horrible of ways and he made us make a promise-

It's painful. Byakuran and the Arcobaleno never learn. I feel like I'm going mad from the repeats. I hear the same lines over and over and over and over again. There's about 15 of us that actually know the situation and the rest... know nothing.

You guys die, and die and die or watch him die. We've seen him cry and have such a painful smile and on top of that." he choked

"The acts are concentrating on him. It's because we aren't able to let it go. It's so cruel, giving us the option to change things but not giving us any power!...

Don't you think it's strange? The people in Namimori are going way too far with the way they treat him. He's experienced situations no normal or abnormal person can face in one lifetime. It's going to get worse from here on. Your lives aren't going to cut it to get rid of his 'bad luck' anymore.

I've seen him last cycle without limbs, paralyzed and we stitched his whole body back together. It made me think about Theseus ship. He died unable to control his body properly- 'his' heart and half of 'his' brain that we transplanted with the other organs and limbs made him revert to the mindset of a five-year-old. He lost control of his bodily functions... he could only babble...

But that was the happiest I ever saw him when the incidents piled up again!" he sobbed

"And that was him after we decided to 'fix' him when he was 'presented' to us in formic acid like he was a fetus. Like as if they found this rebirth cycle some sort of joke-!

By replacing what he lost with parts, somehow we lost him.

He died choking on detergent since it was close to the range his hand could get into. He even tried that in this life, I've heard. I can't handle it. I can't stand it... But...

Even still, he made us promise, that in that life when the later cycles didn't take any of your lives but kept on murdering him like that... like with that kind of death, even if you die, your corpse will be tossing in its grave... he told us that he was a goner...

So we should leave him be and help you guys find your happiness without him. We made him like that this life... But I won't have another loop, even if it is at his cost.

The cycle would restart if all of us has any regrets regarding his death. I am not having it anymore. He's going to die away from Namimori, away from my eyes. The other Arcobaleno have had it with the cycles. The Millefiore are the only ones who are sincerely trying to help him, by restoring the Vongola rings to you guys. They'll do that, over my dead body.

The Arcobaleno have made their move to stop you guys from meddling. We're going to fulfill Tsunayoshi-kun's last wish, as our final respect towards him.

I only told you two since you won't tell it to the others. Not that they will try to help or lend an ear to you if I let information that you are trying to help him."

* * *

"You didn't need to tell us this all if that was your deepest wish. I don't think you're as determined about this as you say."

"...I lost hope long ago."

"Irie-san, nothing is impossible-"

"Are you seriously telling that to me? There's no use trying to get a camaraderie with me, I'm your enemy here."

Hibari looked straight into Shoichi's eyes.

"You guys are potential comrades. You will shift sides at the possibility of getting Tsunayoshi to live."

"...We'll talk if you manage to get a hold of this miracle."

"I need information for that."

"Isn't that the specialty of the Hibaris? Why ask me that?"

"Because you'll be playing intermediary for that."

"Huh? That's asking me if I'll be against the Arcobaleno and the Millefiore. They don't want you guys interfering anymore."

"You're either way going against them by shifting him to that hospital. Guess what would happen if I leak that information?"

"I thought it was strange I was able to pull that off! You sure took a huge risk for this! Even though you won't remember a thing if there's a next cycle."

"It's your own fault for getting into a situation where you're the perfect triple agent."

Kusakabe and Shoichi looked flabbergasted at Hibari's shrewdness.

Far from Namimori, in a certain hospital in Japan.

A nurse looked worriedly in the direction of the deathly quiet room.

'I don't think it's a good idea to put the patient in a room like this. The atmosphere is so gloomy.'

"Ah-Ahem, This is going to be your hospital room for your stay here. I'll bring some flowers to make the room a bit brighter than this... So, Nagi-chan, I hope you can cheer up! There's still a lot more you can do with your life!"

There was no reply from her silent, somber patient. Her eyes roamed towards the only other patient in the room, who lay unconscious in his bed and she visioned her own self turning into that, cold and dead within a month.

Well it didn't matter, no one ever wanted her after all.


	16. Sloth: Misery filled decay

Hey there, long time no update huh? Well, to those that are still interested- huzzah! I've got inspiration. But, yeah- I think it's probably gonna update with a crawling speed lol.

Have fun(?) then~

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Sloth: Misery filled decay**

Tsuna found himself awoken to a dim hospital bed, his mind stuck in warped iterations of his every effort. His skin was sweaty, making him feel further immersed in the illusions of the flame that licked and engulphed his 'home', a consequence of his mother taking everything that he was familiar with as a cruel consequence of his white lies. Those white lies of his had suffocated every single part of her hopes- bright towards a non-existent future, one that he, like his father, had fabricated- a beautiful cage for the ignorant bluebird.

White never suited the father-son duo; at least, that's what Tsuna felt down to his very bones. And so, Byakuran, the very apostle- the proponent for white decided to show the cage's true colours to their bluebird.

Tsuna had never felt so unfettered, so unbound, so… free to float as he wished. Here, in this damp and dusty hospital room with shedding asbestos, there was no one to scorn him for his ineptitude; no one for him to keep a mask on. His efforts were quite meaningless, he was Dame-Tsuna, after all- he never did amount to anything.

The brunette could feel and hear his every breath loudly in the small room. It was so very quiet and he could feel his presence due to his heightened sensitivity. If he strained his ears even further, he could hear someone else's breath- ever so faintly.

His focus shifted- he didn't want to acknowledge that he existed- so utterly defeated against everything life threw at him. His pupils grew larger as they tried to adjust to the dark environment. There was a frail girl who looked owlishly at him from her peripheral.

She was rather gaunt with her unkempt hair spreading wildly on the pillow. To say that she was lanky was an underestimate- she looked almost like a skeleton. But… her eye was beautiful- they seemed to hold a lot of fight- a fire of hope for the future. It was something Tsuna could hardly empathize with right now.

His voice croaked as he tried to strike a conversation- utterly rapt under its spell, like a moth flying to a flame.

"...What's your name?"

The girl flinched in shock at being addressed. Her eye darted confusedly as if trying to ascertain just who he was addressing. Her lips started flapping open and shut until she simply kept quiet, choosing to turn away and ignore the situation entirely.

Tsuna's body grew slack as he wilted at the rejection, so he followed suit. After minutes, she was back at it, taking glances at his form like he was some rare creature that chose to magically appear in her premises.

"I-I'm… Tsuna. Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's n-nice to meet you..." the brunette tried again, his voice a bare whisper. This time, he only snuck a glance at the girl while speaking. His courage reserves were quickly depleting, but the sense of camaraderie was making him feel rather desperate.

This time, the girl looked square at him. She looked slightly lost as she seemed to be trying hard to remember something. It looked like it was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite recall it.

"...I'm… Nagi…?

…

..." her raspy voice whispered into the wind as it sounded so out of tune, so out of practice.

It seemed like there was a second part, but she forgot it. It was lost in the ravages of time.

Tsuna wondered if these painful memories that choked him so would also get lost with time, as it healed him of all his bruises and left him to an empty shell.

She seemed tired from the introduction, choosing to sleep instead of wait for his reply. Tsuna smiled wryly. He had slept too much to fall back into one. Besides, it was pretty much hell whether he woke up or slept. But, at the very least, he wasn't completely conscious in his sleep.

'But, Nagi…? That sounds very familiar...'

The night was young and he felt jittery, even if he was utterly tired. So he tried crawling out of the bed, his limbs feeling like lead, as he slowly paced the room as his eyes fell on every bottle that warned him of their flammability. His fingers traced the scalpels in the medical cabinet at the room's corner, their coldness making his skin feel tingly.

His amber eyes then looked upwards to see no source of light, before falling on the shivering figure of his companion. He distractedly put his bed's blankets over her and closed the windows while looking around for anything that looked like their medical documents.

'This must be a hospital, right? Or is it a psychiatric ward? I did pretty much act like I belonged to a looney bin the… other day…

But, it's too dark to read anything...'

His eyes narrowed down towards the inflammable bottles, but he hesitated.

'...I don't know what'll happen if there were people who'd react to a huge bonfire here.

Plus...' his hands clenched as he breathed more of the asbestos.

'Is that flammable too?

There aren't… any fire extinguishers or sand buckets in this room.'

The room smelled like it lived through the world war. His hand hesitated as it hovered over the doorknob.

The silhouette of a crowd flickered in the brunette's mind and he flinched in fear. He didn't want to face people right now.

He moved towards the window and peered downwards.

'Seems like a long fall...' his eyes looked wistfully towards the ground before they reluctantly left the sight and his hands moved in autopilot to close off the view from his mind. His limbs started hurting like they were sprained, but he didn't want to rest at that moment.

He slouched over the bed as his eyes burned without letting go of a single tear.

The next morning, Tsuna's bleary eyes looked over his partner's figure as he took back his blanket to avoid any suspicion. Her ribs were protruding, but it seemed like there were parts missing- like one of her eyes and all of a sudden- he knew who this person was.

The girl opened her eyelids to look in mild shock to her rude roommate, too tired to react strongly. Her eye socket made him feel like he was looking at the abyss, but his lack of surprise made the girl feel more comfortable. Usually, it was a look of disgust or pity that was thrown her way that made her feel even sorrier for herself. It made her feel like she was slowly rotting away, one body part at a time. First, it was her limbs that felt like they were paralyzed before they felt like they were dislocated from her sockets. Then it was like her organs fell to her bed like crashing legos under gravity; she felt like she was slowly being hollowed out, like as if there wasn't enough space for her to breath in. Her stomach had very slightly quivered out and in with each shallow breath.

Her vision had already lost its depth, now reduced to a single eye as she literally and figuratively could only see her world as a flat 2d space- needing her to flail helplessly as her limbs tried to feel its way towards any objects that she wanted to touch to be grounded to reality, but always missing it by a hair's breath- her crooked, tilted vision to be blamed.

She had all but thought of herself as a corpse until the people who kept her on a lifeline without any support until this person, who she thought would be this room's next rotting corpse- her replacement now that she was pretty much on her last breath- looked at her with that, that awe in his eyes, like she was alive, that she was… Nagi- a name, a word that had been hers- even if it had always had a sound that was particularly harsh and grated against her ears- increasing her heartbeats to thunderous fear invoking-

"Nagi-chan"

She had never heard such a gentle rendition of her … name … It was almost like the boy in front of her was addressing a stranger and speaking in a foreign tongue.

* * *

Nagi looked outside the window- her only portal to the outside world. On that fateful day of her life, her parents finally made the decision they had been circling around for a long time. They could bring themselves to abandon her, in the pretence of letting her recover from the accident.

She lost the functioning of some of her internal organs, and she lost an eye. Now the vision that befell her eyes was flat and nothing really stood out to her. Well, you could say that literally too, since she had lost her stereoscopic vision.

Society would accept her parents now that they had not ruthlessly abandoned their frail, gloomy little daughter- since she was only 'temporarily' away for rehabilitating herself-to get time to heal. When would she rejoin her family, you ask? Well... that would be when there was a kind soul who would donate her necessary organs, when the hospital gains the surgeons who are qualified for doing the surgery, and when her parents get the money to pay for said surgery.

Until then, the gracious hospital, which was located in the boonies, would keep her alive until her family would gain the funds required for the expensive operation and the physio-therapy required to get her back on her feet. Now, aren't the odds of that happening just great! Thank her lucky stars!

Now she could live for an extra day, and another, and another... She could safely survive for days and beyond without lifting a single finger. Her eyes took her surroundings and whatever it could offer, with her pupils expanded to their fullest extent amidst the darkness. Her wrist had an old, almost rusted needle (the nurses and doctors figured from evidence from the child's prior experiences that she was sturdy enough to not get infected- well, she's still surviving isn't she. And if she didn't... well, the child died fighting. Oh, the poor soul!) stuck into her and it connected all the way to the IV drip bag that fed her with all the nutrients that she would need to 'live'. The rusted colour the needle took along with the yellowish look of the bag made her feel like these tools that kept her for another day, slowly dyed themselves in the colours of her body.

Her bed was unwrinkled by the vegetative state her body chose to adopt- too weak to be lively enough to take a step forward. Either way, she was practically attached to the bed. Her mind couldn't cope with reality- there was nothing she could look forward to, for she was left behind as her parents moved towards their brighter future- for greater things. She was a relic of the past, since there was nothing from the present that had a lingering attachment with her, and with that no connection.

Things were better for Nagi, now that she was no longer susceptible to the impulses of her temperamental parents. Here, they had no fists, no feet and no eyes to relay their scorn for her. Her body wouldn't impulsively defend itself and put her parents in the position of the villain. Her answers wouldn't at the very least, incite their ire. Those black and blue stains that painted her skins would disappear with time, leaving a gaunt body that spoke of the accident that her parents very dutifully tried to heal her from. If the very minimum was done for her survival, she would at the very least 'live' or more aptly put, survive to a future that could possibly be glorious to her. Such is the nature of hope.

Life was something precious. It shouldn't be squandered, for there is tomorrow, and there is hope for... 'something good' that would certainly come to those who wait and those who have done nothing wrong.

For Nagi, it was the night that would welcome her to a dreamscape surrounded by grassy meadows that swayed, danced and played to the tune of peace and bliss. Amidst all this, there was a person who seemed to wait for her- the sole person who was magnanimous to keep her company. The vast expanse amidst which the two of them spent time together formed her entire universe. Here she stayed with her saviour in what she would dreamily consider her very own paradise.

Which was funny, given that the sight that could be seen from her window truly did extend through the skies to the real universe. The scenery which could be seen through the window panes was ever-changing and reflective of reality; it was stimulating and intricate, especially for the keen observer. This is the reality that she had spent, waiting for days on end for a time she would need to wait for- when she would be fit to be reunited, for her second chance to do things right. At least, that was her excuse when facing the real world. But when facing the other world...

She chose to live in an escapist's paradise- amidst her dreams.

Tsuna, on the other hand, looked at the emptiness that slowly swallowed the frail girl in front of him and felt a twinge of envy. It was as if her body physically manifested what he truly felt. His hands were letting things slip right through his fingers. All those things that were once truly precious to him- he no longer had the strength to carry with him. All his burdens, his responsibilities, his desires, his wishes, his hopes were slowly free diving around him. And he could barely muster the strength to reach out to them.

Time and experience were taking a toll on his mind. Things didn't seem as colourful as he had once envisioned them. All the things that people pep talked themselves with sounded empty in his tongue and he didn't even know what he was talking about. He barely understood himself anymore. He didn't know if there was any purpose to anything he did, but even if there was a point to this all- what did it matter to him? He was just… tired. But sleep didn't help.

Pain… was somewhat addicting. It grounded him to an effervescent moment. He looked at his roommate and the emptiness that was visibly apparent and it felt fulfilling. It was like things were finally coherent and there were no contradictions in his psyche and his body if his was also like hers. If he could physically feel that it was crying out for something that was missing- it would have been like something of him would have been completed- like his complementary part would have been present.

It would sting and hurt so badly that his mind would forever be occupied- not with the nonsense that currently plagued him- but something that was more rational to grieve over. Something more reasonable to be sick and close into your shell over.

"If you accept mine, you could get back whatever you've lost."

Nagi looked at the boy's golden eyes and touched her eye socket. Somehow, it seemed like they fit best with him. She slowly shook her head and saw the gentle kid frown like he would tear up any moment. She wasn't used to this.

She didn't want to reveal this sham of a hospitalization for what it was- her abandonment. That… and she would have to see another 'her' be born right in front of her eyes. At least this person who was so similar to herself would let her feel like there was a version of herself that had it better. That things weren't hopeless for people like herself.

But Tsuna thought differently for the reason for her rejection.

'Even if I donated my organs… it's not necessarily the case that they would be accepted by her body- they might not be compatible.'

It was stuff that he had looked up in the past. He knew he was Dame-Tsuna, but if there were parts of him that could be placed in someone else to help them to go further on to better things- it could be proof that he or at least his entirety wasn't useless. That there were parts of him that could be better utilized by someone else, even if he squandered his 'potential' so thoroughly. That even he could help someone else or that there was something inside of him that might not be Dame.

He couldn't help it. He knew it. He was just stupid- the hopeless kind. He couldn't even muster the strength to think of ways to change things up and teach an old dogs some new tricks. His fear had paralyzed him so thoroughly that they disabled him from reaching for newer heights. He was petrified. He was so done with his life that he couldn't even hold a pity party for himself, he couldn't bring himself to cry over something that felt like it would never get better despite how much he criticized himself over it. This life of his, he knew, was pretty much a failure. It existed for other people to learn from and not commit the same mistakes over.

The person in front of him, Chrome Dokuro, deserved so much more. She had been such a great friend to his dream self. She had been such an amazing person in his dreams with the way she shouldered parts of his burdens, despite lacking so much. She, in fact, made up her own form of internal support with her internal strength while juggling other problematic things and her horrible past.

She's so young, yet so strong, so reliable. She was his guardian, and he's never had the strength to shelter his guardians from their pain in this reality. He couldn't help but deny that dream so strongly- he couldn't see himself as that powerful figure that he had been in that dream. But now that he finally had a chance to do something, anything, it was to something that he was forced to realize that he would either be poison on panacea.

And he couldn't bring himself to force her to settle with those kinds of odds.


End file.
